


The Ups and Downs (That Haunt Us)

by XenYonZin



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alpha Allison Hargreeves, Alpha Diego Hargreeves, Alpha Luther Hargreeves, Alpha Number Five | The Boy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Attempt at Humor, Ben knows cosmetics and can bake, Beta Number Six | The Horror | Ben, Blood and Violence, Everyone actually includes Vanya, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Ben Hargreeves, Hurt Number Five | The Boy, I Tried, I'm Sorry, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, It also gets confusing, M/M, Memory Loss, Mind Manipulation, Minor Allison Hargreeves/Luther Hargreeves, Minor Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy Has Feelings, Omega Klaus Hargreeves, Omega Vanya Hargreeves, Pet Names, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Reginald hates Betas, also because I say so, and then it gets worse again, because I say so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:56:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 66,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28832307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XenYonZin/pseuds/XenYonZin
Summary: If there was one thing the Hargreeves knew about Reginald; it was that he absolutely hated betas.~On their 16th birthday, everyone presents as an alpha, beta, or omega. There are typically no late or early presenters. On the day of presentations, emotions are heightened in accordance to which status people receive. Alphas get increased anger. Omegas become sadder. Betas remain normal. People become familiar with the changes by the middle of the day as ruts/heats hit.The Hargreeves family finally gain their secondary genders. However, as everyone around him becomes chaotic, Ben is the only one that remains the same. That could only mean one thing: He's a beta. What is he going to do when his father finds out his status? It seems that they never considered the fact that one of them could (and would) end up as the status their father despised. Luckily, Five is there to help. (Oh and they're in love.)~The summary might be a bit confusing. Basically, Five and Ben face the challenges of getting their subgenders, even if some of them don't include their father. After all, most monsters come from within. Ben is going to discover just how true that is.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves/Luther Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Everyone, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Number Five | The Boy & Ben Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy) & Everyone, Number Five | The Boy/Ben Hargreeves
Comments: 29
Kudos: 45





	1. The Epiphanies That Come With Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic, so...hi! I'm happy you decided to join me on this crazy ride! :D
> 
> This story is probably going to get confusing as we go through, but I'll try my best to explain and wrap it all together. I wanted to mention somethings about it before you begin reading! 
> 
> This is going to mainly revolve around Ben and Five...and their love, so if you don't like that, then don't read this. Simple. Anywho, I decided to let the characters focus on their presentations before the "main" part of the story is revealed. Therefore, the part with Reginald hating betas won't fully come into play yet. However, I needed to put it in the beginning, so that you can understand why the children are all so terrified of becoming betas. Trust me, it will become very important for later.
> 
> I can't think of anything else to say, besides the fact that they might be out of character, sorry about that. Enjoy reading! :)
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.

If there was one thing the Hargreeves children knew about their father; it was that he absolutely hated betas.

~ 

_Finally_ . He mused. _It was finally time for all of us to get our secondary genders. I wonder who will be an alpha and who will turn out an omega…I suppose we’ll know by tomorrow._

While he was curious for all of them, Number Six figured that most of them already knew what they would receive. Of course, Luther, Diego, and Five were going to end up as alphas. There was no doubt in his mind that they would. They all showed signs of leadership and aggression, continuously fighting over one another to be heard and followed. Not that the others minded. It led to interesting arguments and situations. Then, there was Klaus and Vanya, who would of course end up as omegas (which was lucky for Seven, who was already treated horribly by Reginald). They both had soft natures, leading to them instinctively following dominant leads. Even if Four didn’t fit the stereotypical subdued personality omegas should have, like Seven did, being energetic and loud, his fashion sense was enough of a hint. That left Allison and himself.

Now that’s where it gets even more interesting.

...and not in a good way.

See, while the rest of the children all recognized they would be safe from Reginald’s cruelty, Three and Six were left in fear. They truly couldn’t figure out what their secondary gender could be (and they didn’t want to think about the chances of them turning out as betas). Three exhibited some leadership qualities, but also followed after One without question. Six had the fearful powers that could lead to a strong secondary gender, but was quiet and listened to orders dutifully. This meant that they could end up as anything.

_I...I hope I end up presenting as an omega._

This was not the first time he thought this. It always crawled its way to the forefront of his mind, especially as they got closer to their 16th birthday, the age at which everyone presents. 

Of course, this had nothing to do with the fact that he knew Five would end up as an alpha...and his nonexistent crush on said person. Nope. _Definitely_ not.

…

Anyways.

*

 _It’s about fucking time._ He mused. _No more waiting in “patience” for our secondary genders to reveal themselves. Tomorrow is going to leave riveting moments._

While he couldn't wait for himself to present as an alpha _(obviously)_ , he was too focused on his worry for Ben to truly celebrate. Ben and Allison were the only ones who couldn’t tell what they would become. And what a terrifying thought that was. Because what if, what _if_ one of them ended up as a _beta?_ He had already spent many nights comforting Ben, who cried himself to sleep against his chest because that awful thought plagued him. All of them knew what presenting as a beta would entail. Not that it made a difference to him what Ben became.

_No matter what, I’ll always protect him. Alpha, beta, omega._

It was no secret to himself that he wished for Ben to end up as an omega, he already came to terms with his feelings for said person a long time ago. If Ben ended up an alpha, however, he’ll make it work, as long as Ben feels the same way.

_Anything for him._

(Maybe he was a bit obsessed, but that’s fine…right?)

~

Wake up. Breakfast. Individual training. Lunch. Group practice. Dinner. Sleep.

The same schedule every single day. Maybe he made it a bit too simple. They did have moments to relax and study, after all, but those always seemed so short compared to training and missions. He’s starting to think that they train for longer as the days pass. Okay, maybe he was being a _bit_ dramatic, but can you blame him? With his powers, he became exhausted quicker than the others. By the time the day is over, he barely has any strength left. 

(That doesn’t mean he was going to miss out on being surrounded by his family. He always made time for them.)

Breakfast was uneventful and now they each waited for their turn to practice. It always went in order, so he had some more time to relax and gather energy than the others did. He was currently in his room, knitting an intricate sweater when his door was ripped open. The sweater flew out of his hands as he jumped, looking up in shock. That expression lasted for a second before he made out the people in his doorway. He felt his eye twitch. Did they really disrupt him for _this?_ He was _just_ about to add the finishing touches to the centerpiece as well. He was _planning_ to knit a comfy sweater for Five as a birthday present, but it looks like that was ruined. He could see that the journey dropped his stitches, causing his creation to unravel. It became a muddle of yarn in the corner of his room. 

_Guess I’ll have to put it off for another occasion. It was such a great idea too! Now I have to find another gift for him._

Hard work having been undone in front of his eyes, he was rightfully upset. He stared daggers at the newcomers. He should’ve expected this, to be completely honest. 

Standing in his doorway were two people. While he wasn’t surprised to see Five standing there, they were best friends after all, he was a bit surprised that Klaus was with him. They both had shit-eating grins and held tools in one hand. In the other, they were containing a struggling Diego between them, keeping him from running by having bruising grips on his underarms. Diego was obviously a hostage. He didn’t even need to hear their request.

_Not this again._

“No.” 

He went to fetch his clutter of yarn and didn’t have to look to see the intruders frown at his answer. Klaus spoke up first.

“You don’t even know what we were going to ask!”

He shot Klaus an impassive look, switching his gaze from the objects in their hands to a fuming Diego. He raised an eyebrow. Klaus continued.

“Okay, so maybe you do know. Then, why not?!”

“I refuse to waste the limited time I have today.”

“You usually go along with my stunts, no matter the time!”

“Well then...father will be pissed if we send Diego like that to training. The punishment for that will be severe, you know that as well as I do.”

“Of course I do! I wouldn’t want our fearless Number Two getting hurt! It’s Allison’s training period right now. You’re just making up excuses at this point. Please, hurry up and agree! I want to see how Diego turns out before I have to train.”

“You know you could do it as well, Klaus. I know you know how to apply makeup.”

“I only know how to do the basics! Allison taught you all sorts of techniques that look _far_ better than what I could ever do! It always comes out so _pretty,_ Ben! You have to do some of your magic on Diego!”

He chose not to respond to Klaus, collecting his destroyed sweater and inspecting it. (Yeah, definitely a goner.) That was a mistake. Klaus started whining at him, very noisily.

“Beeeeennnnnn. Why noooottt? Come on, pleeease?? You were on board with this idea yesterday! When we did the same thing to Luther!”

He groaned, feeling only a little bit guilty at that. (Luther was being an _asshole,_ okay?) He kept his focus solely on Klaus.

“Yes, but that was _yesterday. Today,_ I was hoping for some peace like I _asked_ you all to give me earlier. Now, you both have _ruined_ my work that I won’t have time to finish today. So, no, I _don’t_ want to help you two at the moment.” Turning and putting the tattered sweater in his closet, he saw Klaus glance to his right at Five. He immediately knew what they were planning to do. He slammed the closet doors shut, glaring at the wood. “Don’t you _dare._ ” 

“Whatever do you mean, _Benny?_ I’m not going to do anything. I understand that you're upset at us for ruining your project, so you refuse to help us. It’s fine.” He could tell Klaus was fluttering his eyelashes, acting innocent.

“ _Don’t_ call me that and don’t change the subject. Of course, I know what you’re planning. I saw you look at Five."

Five spoke up this time. He could already tell it was a losing battle. Everyone knew that he had a weakness for Five and vice-versa. 

(They all thought it was because they were best friends. Which was _mostly_ true.)

“Observant as usual, Ben. I expect nothing less from an intelligent person such as yourself.”

 _“Don’t.”_ He kept his eyes trained on the grains of wood as he felt a blush crawl its way up his neck. It stained his cheeks pink.

“Don’t _what,_ Ben? I’m going to need you to look at me, so I can understand what you’re asking.”

“Five, seriously.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“P-please, don’t.” He whispered, voice faltering.

“I couldn’t hear you? What was that?” He could hear the smugness in Five’s voice.

_Fuck._

He steeled his will, getting ready to look at Five and repeat himself. He peered at Five and felt his words get caught in his throat. Five was brightly smiling at him with a fond look in his eyes. He watched as Five opened his mouth and knew he had lost. Five knew it as well. He could tell by the way the corner of Five’s mouth twitched. Five was trying to suppress a smirk.

_God damn it._

“There you are. I was getting worried you were ignoring me. That would make me miserable. You _are_ my best friend after all. Anyways, I wanted to ask if you would-”

“Oh my God. _Fine!_ Just...stop flattering me, you big buffoon.” He couldn’t help the smile that split across his face. Five and Klaus wore grins that matched a Cheshire cat. 

As they pulled Diego into his room, bringing out rope from nowhere, he brought around a chair and noticed a wink being thrown his way by Five. His smile went shy, cheeks turning a bright red.

*

After laughing their asses off and trying to keep Diego from moving his face too much, Ben had finally finished his work. They took a step back and admired the tied-up Diego. He looked twice as handsome with the stuff Ben had applied on him. His eyes popped out more and Ben had highlighted some of his best features, making Diego look more dignified. 

He looked to his right and saw Ben grinning proudly. He knew that Ben would end up enjoying himself, he _loved_ applying makeup on people. 

_Another great talent of Ben’s._

He remembered when Ben first saw Allison with makeup. His eyes lit up and he looked mesmerized. Ben had begged Allison for a _week_ to teach him everything she knew. When Allison finally taught him how, with a little _nudge_ from him, Ben’s smile was so wide that his heart thumped wildly. He was the first one to offer to be a model for Ben to practice on. Best decision of his life really, because Ben had looked close to crying tears of joy at that and had hugged him so tightly. One of the greatest days he's ever had. Ben enjoyed himself and his work turned out great. He admitted that he looked good with it on and that makeup wasn't all that bad. Klaus seemed to agree as he offered to be another model for Ben, wanting to “look so pretty that everyone will have no choice but to gawk at him when he passed by.” He could only say that Ben has improved since then, talent surpassing those of Allison’s. That was just his opinion, however. He may be a bit biased.

Since then, they continuously let Ben practice on them. Ben would either ask or just come up to them and start applying the cosmetics. He didn’t mind, since Ben only came when he knew they weren't busy. They even had some nights with Allison, where they would stay up to apply nail polish and watch movies. Well, Allison and Ben did all the work, but they enjoyed doing it, so it was okay. Vanya joined sometimes as well. She wasn’t that big on beauty products, however, so she rarely allowed Ben to apply makeup on her. Only doing so on special occasions. He knew Ben didn’t want to force anything on her, so he never hounded her for it. 

However, the other two siblings, Luther and Diego, were not as on board with Ben's newly developed talent. They never let Ben practice on them, yelling when he first asked. 

He never bothered them about it before, since Ben had said he “already had the best models, I don't need more. It's _okay,_ Five, it's my fault for asking. I should've known better." That wasn't true, but if Ben didn’t care, then neither did he. He quickly started to when Luther and Diego began harassing Ben for his hobby. They were following after their father’s ideas on what men should and shouldn't do. He remembered them yelling some toxic masculinity shit at Ben one day. He, also, _distinctly_ remembers Ben crying into his shoulder that night. That’s where he drew the line. He brought Klaus with him to enact revenge. It would be more successful that way. Klaus happily followed along (and he continued to do so afterward). When Allison overheard them, she joined as well, upset at Luther and Diego for crushing Ben’s joy. That, in turn, brought Vanya into it (both only helping that one time). They captured Numbers One and Two, after a group practice one day, and applied so much makeup that they ran out of some products. When Ben had seen the end result, he had laughed so hard and cheerfully, that even the two victims had to laugh along with the rest of the family. 

They apologized to Ben that very same day (with Five breathing down their necks) and promised to support him. They still didn’t allow Ben to practice on them, however, and that’s when he and Klaus would step in, just like they did today. Ben did need to experiment on different facial shapes and tones after all.

Looking back at the still struggling Diego, he felt affection swell up within him.

~

As soon as they finished admiring his work, Allison walked into the room. She took one glance at Diego and smirked, before ignoring his pleas for help. She looked at them and raised an eyebrow. All three of them smiled innocently. She shook her head, before speaking.

“I’ve just finished my training and wanted to get Klaus, so he doesn’t get in trouble for being late. _Again.”_

Klaus pouted.

“Aw, come on Ally, it wasn’t my fault last time!”

She scoffed.

“Tell that to dad.”

Klaus was mumbling about how he _tried_ to before he walked towards the door. Diego caught him at the doorway. 

“Good luck, Klaus. I’m sure you can do it t-today.” Diego smiled fondly. Klaus nodded in return, tightly smiling and walking out. Allison stared for a while, comprehension passing through her eyes before she followed. “Now, that they're gone...will you guys _untie_ m-m-me! I have things to do today if you don’t mind!”

"Actually, I do mind," responded Five. "I was in a great mood, laughing and all, until you opened your huge mouth. I was even planning on releasing you. Looks like now you'll be there for a while until I feel like being kind again."

He burst out laughing again. Five was just so _cruel._ Through his tears, he could see Diego gape at Five.

 _"W-w-what?!_ Let me go you _asshole!"_

"And if I don't feel like it?"

"I'll impale you with one of my knives."

"You're tied up or did you forget that fact, you moron? Besides, even if you were free, you would have to _capture_ me. And as you can see," Five blinked in front of Diego, then back to his side, "I'm pretty much impossible to catch. _Especially_ if you use those pathetic toy knives of yours."

"TOYS?!"

Feeling playful, he grasped Five's hand. 

"I caught you, Fivey." He beamed. Five didn't pull away. He interlaced their fingers.

"That's only because I _let_ you, Ben."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"Well _then,_ why don't we-"

"Don't do anything till you. Let. Me. Go!" Diego interrupted. 

"I _told_ you, I will when I'm in a kind _mood-"_

"Come on, Five. Let's let him go." Diego shot him a look of gratitude. Five raised an eyebrow, being able to tell he wasn't finished yet. Five knew him _so well._ "But if, and only _if,_ he swears to keep the makeup on until group practice." Diego’s jaw dropped.

"You little fucking _weasel!"_

"What do you think, Five?" He smirked.

"I believe you're right as always, Ben. After all, he did ruin our excitement earlier." Five mirrored his look.

"So, what do you say Diego?"

_"No!"_

He released a dramatic sigh. 

"Well, I guess we could compromise and instead have you swear to be my model for a week."

"That's not any _better."_

"Well it's one or the other, so pick your poison. We could just leave you here until you decide."

"You w-wouldn't _dare."_

Of course, they wouldn't, but he wasn't going to tell _Diego_ that. He swung his and Five's intertwined hands. 

"Well, you can take that bet, but I wouldn't if I were you. Five doesn't go back on his words. Hmm, I wonder what dad will do to you if you miss practice. Do you have any idea what he would do, Five?"

"Well, there's a million possibilities I have in mind. Each one is more dreadful than the last. Maybe he'll see if you have good heat resistance. Or maybe he'll use electricity to see the changes in your brain waves. What about how long it takes you to escape from being buried _alive._ Oh, then there's of course-"

He tightened his grip on Five the more he went on. His face remained cocky, but his heart was breaking with each punishment said. He knew Five wasn't coming up with them on the spot.

After all, he was the one Five went to when they were over. He was there to pick Five back up each time their father tried to break him down. He refused to let that happen.

(It was a secret that only the two of them knew. Along with the fact that those were the only times Five would _ever_ let himself break down in front of anyone.)

 _"F-fine!_ I'll agree with your stupid conditions! Just don't make me skip practice." Diego blurted out. 

Fortunately, Diego was the Village Idiot. 

He forced himself to forget the pain. His smirk widened.

"Which one?"

"...I'll wear the stuff for today until practice."

 _"Great!_ I _knew_ you would see our side of things, Diego! Now you just have to swear on it and we'll release you!"

"Whatever. I swear to keep the makeup on until group practice today. If I break my promise I will…" Diego waited for them to finish his sentence. He let Five handle it, which was terrible news for Diego.

"You will become Ben's model for a month."

"W-what?! That's far longer than a week!"

"Well, all you have to do is keep your promise. That shouldn't be very hard, should it, Diego? _Unless,_ of course, you were immediately planning on breaking your oath? I'm _sure_ you weren't, but I'm adding some insurance. Just. In. Case."

"Why, _you-"_

"Come on, now. You already swore! So, _don't_ break it. We'll make sure the repercussions are as awful they sound. You _don't_ want to know how." He intercepted.

Diego paled and nodded. He glanced at Five and watched him release their hands, blinking behind Diego, and setting him free. Five went back to his side and they both watched Diego leave the room, shoulders in a slump, with identical, eerie grins. 

_Klaus is going to be so delighted when he sees Diego like that again. It should take away his misery about practice._

He grinned even more. 

*

He knew the real reason Ben forced Diego to keep the makeup on was for Klaus to smile. 

(It worked. He can still hear Klaus gasping for air as he wheezed. A thump indicated he fell to the floor from laughing so hard. He wasn't the only one. He can hear Luther, Allison, and Vanya chuckling as well. He imagined Diego was scowling and red.)

Just like Ben, Klaus always looked so _dejected_ when his training was done. They were almost as close as Ben and him, so he knew Ben would always try to keep Klaus smiling. However, it wasn't a mutual urge. After all, Klaus had his hands full making everyone else laugh. (They never blamed him for that.) So, keeping Ben happy was his job. He took it seriously, because as long as Ben was content, so was he.

This meant that after his training was done. He went to work baking homemade cookies. He was a bit tired but knew Ben would be _drained_ when he came back. Ben did say the Horror was being a bit unstable today, so controlling him would take more effort than usual. He knew that the cookies would help Ben, so he ignored his soreness. 

(He can't believe his father made him see how long he could hold his breath underwater. He's not fucking Diego who seems to secretly be a merman. All while holding up a _connected_ toaster. Actually...yes he can believe it because it just happened and his dad's a fucking _sociopath.)_

Ben baked all the time, saying the motions calmed him and that he loved the smell of cookies out of the oven. Ben loved it almost as much as reading and cosmetics. And Ben _loved_ doing those. So, he knew it was a solid plan. 

Yet, try as he might, he just _couldn't_ figure out how to correctly make the dough. He keeps having to restart and each time is a new mistake. He added too much salt. Or not enough sugar. Too little flour. Way too much vanilla. It just wasn't _working_ for him. 

_They need to be perfect, or at least be edible, for Ben._

Again.

Not enough salt. Too much sugar. Forgot the eggs. Left out the vanilla. 

_It shouldn't be this difficult, right? Why can't I do it???_

Again.

Forgot the butter. Eggshells in it. Baking powder disappeared. Switched around the flour and sugar amounts. 

_Are you serious?!_

Once more.

Dropped it. Overmixed it. Undermixed it. Undercooked them.

_OH, COME ON!_

He was ready to bash his skull against the counter.

He tried again.

And again.

And _again._

He felt his anger rise as he glared at the ingredients. It was obviously their fault. They were making this more difficult on _purpose._

"I'm on to you, you little fucking _bastards."_

...aaand now he was talking to _food._ Great. Just, _great._

_Pull yourself together Five, you can do this._

One more time.

Burned. 

He burnt them.

_MOTHERFUCKER!_

He threw the rock cookies at the window and started to trash all the ingredients. When he was done, he was left panting. All of the sudden, he heard someone try to stifle their giggles. He snapped his head around and felt his face turn _extremely_ hot. 

_I thought I told them all that I would murder them if they-son of a BITCH!_

Ben stood in the doorway, obviously _very_ amused. He’s not sure how long he's been standing there. He can only hope he wasn't there to see his epic meltdown at failing to make _cookies._ But, judging by the twinkle in Ben’s eyes, he knew it was hopeless. He didn't even realize how much time had passed. It couldn't have been _that_ long. He thought he had more time.

_There goes that plan._

Now, Ben has caught him creating a commotion over a supposedly simple task. He hoped he didn't look too stupid. 

...that was probably hopeless as well.

~

Feeling as miserable as always after training, he limped around the house trying to locate Five. Five always cheered him up and he desperately needed that happiness right now.

His father had yelled at him _again_ for not being able to control the Horror. As punishment, he made him step, barefoot, across broken glass. He had said it would "help you regain focus, Number Six. You're brothers and sisters are ahead of you in growth and you're still _waddling_ behind them. This will teach you not to follow other people's paths. They are not for you to walk on, as it is not your own. At this rate, you're as useful as a _toddler."_ And he's _trying,_ but nothing ever works out for him. Now, he was dragging around bloody feet that he hadn't had the time to examine due to his eagerness to find Five and be reminded he's _not_ a failure. 

(Seriously, what kind of fucking _psychopath_ did they have for a dad?)

He followed the large commotion in the living room, assuming Five was there, it seemed that everyone was. His heart got a bit lighter at seeing all his family laughing. Especially Klaus, who was rolling around on the floor, clutching his stomach, and wearing the brightest grin. Klaus was pointing at Diego, who was brooding on the couch. He smiled. He _knew_ Klaus would be delighted to see Diego like that again. 

_Glad to see Diego is keeping his oath._

He didn't know how long he was standing there until Vanya noticed him in the doorway. 

"Ben? Are you already done training?"

It went quiet. The siblings with powers all knew what being released early meant. They looked at him with worry. He panicked.

"Oh, er, yeah, I'm done! Turns out being in control helps speed up practice. He dismissed me early as a reward." He grinned at Vanya, trying to not shuffle his feet that hurt _so_ _much._

He didn't want to worry her and the other supers could tell. They kept quiet about the fact that they knew their father _never_ gave out rewards, only punishments. He could see them try to pinpoint the damage done to his body but knew they wouldn't find it. He sent them a reassuring look. They reluctantly bought it, going back to communicating amongst themselves. Vanya looked at him for a second more, before smiling back, turning around to join Allison and Luther's chat about a new movie coming out. He looked over to the other two. Klaus was now consoling Diego, reassuring him that he looked very handsome with the "clown paint" _(Wow. Thanks, Diego)_ that was on his face.

_Looks like Five isn’t here._

He let out a sigh. Vanya, yet again, noticed.

"If you're looking for Five, he's in the kitchen. He threatened all of us not to go in there or he'd 'make us eat our own innards,' but I'm sure he'll dismiss it if it was his best friend."

_The kitchen? Why would he be in there?_

"Thank you, Vanya." He smiled and walked (limped) out to the kitchen.

_Finally, I can see Fiv- ...huh?_

He was met with an amusing view before him. He couldn't believe his eyes for a second. 

_Did our family invite a stranger into the house?_

He rubbed his eyes. The figure did look like his best friend…a doppelganger?

_No...that's him, alright._

Standing in the kitchen was, in fact, Five...who was frantically throwing ingredients in a bowl, obviously trying to create something, but quickly becoming too frustrated to get any measurements or ingredients right. He decided to stay quiet and figure out what was happening. He soon realized Five was attempting to _bake._

It slowly became difficult for him to remain silent as he continued watching. Five's limbs were practically _everywhere._ Grabbing ingredients, then dropping them. Mixing the batter at too fast speeds. Flinging dough in all sorts of directions. Five even accidentally knocked off the baking powder, therefore forgetting to add it in. At one point, he thought he saw Five _accusing_ the ingredients for his obvious mistakes, but he wasn't quite sure. 

He could tell the exact moment Five finally snapped.

Five had burnt some cookies and they were now as hard as rocks. Five stared at them, blankly, for a while before he picked one up. He proceeded to chuck it at the window. It bounced off and broke when it hit the floor. Fire burst through Five’s eyes as he then tossed the whole pan of rock cookies at the window, the pan _included._ The window had no chance against him. 

It was quite the sight to see the ever composed Five (covered head to toe in flour and other dry ingredients, dough on some odd parts of his body, including his face, and wearing Ben’s baby blue apron that had the words "Time to Create Heaven on a Plate!" printed across the front in curvy lettering) stomp around the kitchen grabbing all the ingredients and throwing them out the, now broken, window mumbling something about stubborn little bastards being out to get him.

He couldn't hold it in anymore. But he tried to. He really did. 

He was giggling, trying to use his hand to muffle the sound. It didn't work as he heard Five stop muttering and turn around. Five saw him and turned scarlet, looking mortified at having been caught. He thought it was very _cute,_ but it didn't help his situation. That was the final straw.

He burst out laughing, falling to his knees as he gasped for air.

_This has got to be one of the best things I've ever seen in my life._

He forgot all about the pain in his body and heart. 

*

Laughter filled the room as he watched Ben fall to his knees. Even though his face was burning up, he smiled. It was nice to see Ben happy so soon after training. It usually took him a while to get that result.

_Speaking of which...what time is it?_

He glanced at a clock that hung in the room. His smile disappeared, blush retreating.

_That's strange._

Ben should still be in practice at this moment, not pounding the floor in his laughing fit. Then he was right, he should've had more time. Ben must have got out early. 

_But that means…_

He paled, examining Ben with alarm. Ben looked perfectly fine, but he knew better. Injuries can be hidden _easily._ He would know. He needed to check.

_"Ben."_

Ben's chuckles halted at his serious tone.

~

He mentally sighed. He knew Five would eventually realize he finished training early. He also knew that Five was already distressed about the implications of that. He reluctantly met Five’s eyes, standing up with bated breath. He tried not to wince at the pain of putting pressure on his feet. He seemed to succeed as Five didn't make any indication that he had noticed, too busy searching his eyes. He waited till Five spoke.

"Come over here."

_Shit. Maybe he did notice._

Walking would surely give him away. He didn't want to bother Five with his injuries. He was planning on cleaning them, in secret, later. He prepared himself for the short distance. 

Gathering up his courage, he took a step forward…

…and immediately flinched at the pain, face scrunching up in discomfort. He heard Five take a sharp intake. He definitely knew now, if he didn't before.

_Fuck._

*

Ben truly did seem fine. During his giggling session, Ben was able to move his arms without any pain flashing across his eyes. Ben was on his knees and seemed to be fine with smacking his legs. Ben was even able to pound on his chest without any distress crossing his face. 

However, when Ben stood fully on his feet, Five saw him slightly wince, but nothing changed in his eyes. 

_Could it be his feet then?_

He narrowed his attention on that. He didn't ask directly because he knew Ben would never tell him. Would never reveal how much pain he's in. He needed to find a different way to answer his question.

_I'm sorry, Ben._

"Come over here."

Ben looked distressed at that before it was quickly overcome with determination. 

Ben took a step and immediately faltered. Ben flinched and looked uncomfortable. He abruptly inhaled. 

_I knew it._

In a second, he threw off the apron and blinked next to Ben, collecting him in his arms, before blinking away. 

(They left the kitchen a mess, which Grace would stumble upon when she went to make lunch. She told Reginald. He was not pleased.)

He appeared in the bathroom and set Ben down on the side of the tub. He prepared warm water, gathered towels, antibiotic ointment, and bandage wraps. Through it all, Ben didn't react. That was until he kneeled and tried to take off Ben’s shoes. 

He reached for Ben's right shoe being stopped by a hand grabbing his arm. He looked up. Ben was frantically shaking his head, tears gathering in his eyes. Ben’s mouth opened and closed for a while before he found his voice. 

"It won't be a nice sight, Five...I...I don't want you to see that."

His heart shattered at Ben's weak voice.

_This idiot._

~

Before he knew it, Five swept him off his feet and teleported them into the bathroom. He was trying to process the previous events when a hand grabbed his shoe. He instinctively stopped them. His teary vision was then full of concerned, green eyes. He shook his head, voice small as he spoke. 

"It won't be a nice sight, Five...I...I don't want you to see that."

Five looked gloomy at that.

_Fantastic Ben, you made Five depressed. That's exactly what you didn't want._

"Did you even check your wounds before you found me?"

He didn't want to answer that. His silence was enough for Five. 

*

Ben's silence answered his question. 

He grasped the hand on his arm, he brought it to his lips and whispered gentle words. 

"I want to help you, Ben. _Please, let me."_

_Let me take care of you._

He kissed Ben's knuckles. 

~

The kiss on his hand left him flustered. He really was too weak for Five. This time, when Five clutched his shoe, he made no move to stop him.

_Just...just this once, I'll let him take care of me._

*

He slowly took both of Ben's shoes off. He hesitated when he saw the crimson staining the bottom of Ben's socks. 

_Why did he wait this long?_

~

He saw Five hesitate and quickly regretted his decision. He moved to tug his feet away when Five grabbed his leg and stared into his eyes.

_He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be worrying about me. He shouldn't be-_

Five halted his thought process with one word.

"Don't." 

*

"B-but Five, you-"

He ignored Ben and proceeded to peel off the blood-soaked socks. He placed them to the side. On the bottom of Ben's feet were several cuts. They all varied in size and depth. The wounds were still fresh and bleeding. Quickly cleaning his hands, he seized a towel applying pressure to one foot, before the other, to get the blood to stop. 

_What the fuck did Dad do?_

"What happened?"

Ben froze.

~

"N-nothing."

The pressure on his foot hurt a bit, but not enough for him to make a big deal over.

"Ben."

"I, uh...it was my fault."

Five furrowed his eyebrows. The cuts stopped bleeding. Five moved to get another towel, dipping it in warm water. He started to wipe down each foot before he responded.

 _"Nothing_ is ever your fault. Especially, if Dad said it was. He's an asshole, don't listen to him."

_I wish it was that easy._

*

"It _was_ my fault. I-I couldn't control the Horror again."

_Our fucking bastard of a dad has completely broken down Ben's confidence. It's going to take a while for him to believe my words. I won't stop until he does._

"It _wasn't._ "

_"Five-"_

~

_"Ben."_

His heart thumped erratically. The way Five said his name gave him a cozy feeling. While he didn't want to reveal his training session, he knew Five wouldn't stop until he got answers. 

_He worries about me too much._

"He...uh, he...mademewalkacrossbrokenglass."

_Maybe I'm a bit of a coward._

*

_I don't think I heard him correctly._

_“_ He what?"

"..."

"Ben, please just tell me what happened."

_Please tell me I heard incorrectly._

"...made me walk across broken glass."

_...h-he made him...walk across...broken?_

~

Five's silence wasn't a good sign.

"Five?"

"..."

"F-five?"

He grew worried as he watched Five stop cleaning his wounds. Soon, Five's features went from blank to horrified to downright furious. 

_Oh, shit._

"Five, w-wait! It's _okay!_ _I'm_ okay!"

Five's glare went to him. 

_Oh, SHIT!_

*

_He can't truly believe everything's fine._

"Like hell it's okay!"

"I'm fine!"

_What?_

~

"And if you weren't?!"

_Don't focus on that._

"But I am-"

_Please._

"But if you _weren't-"_

_Don't focus on that._

"I am and always will be. It doesn't matter what he did to me, Five. Not as long as I come out _alive."_

"Still-"

"No. There's nothing to add. I'm here and breathing. I'm _fine_ . _"_

"...fine."

_Trust me._

*

_What about the one day you don't come out fine? The day you don't come out at all?_

He didn't like the argument but had no chance against his best friend. He reluctantly accepted Ben's words. Resuming his treatment, he set aside the, now pink, towel and picked up the antibiotic ointment. Applying it gently, he heard softly spoken words.

"Besides, I have you right next to me and that's all I need to be alright."

His heart went insane. He could feel a blush crawl its way to his face.

_He really is the kindest soul out there._

_~_

"Is that so?"

Behind the calm facade, he could see pure joy light up Five's posture. He also noted the light red dust across his cheeks. 

"It is."

"I'm honored."

"You should be."

Five just smirked at that, huffing out a laugh. Placing the ointment aside and reaching for the bandages, Five attentively started to wrap his feet.

_He's too good to me._

*

As soon as he finished covering Ben's feet in bandages, he stood up. He informed Ben to stay still and swiftly cleaned everything up. When done, he walked to Ben and lifted him. Ben let out a squawk and started squirming. He instantly set him back down. 

_Shit, did I upset his wounds?!_

~

"Are you okay?! Did I hurt you?!"

_He's thoughtful as well._

"No-"

"Then what's the problem? You _frightened_ me!"

"The _problem_ is that I'm not a damsel in distress! I can walk on my own just fine!"

*

_He's joking, right?_

"You're not serious, are you?"

"Of _course,_ I'm serious! Why would I bring it up if I wasn't?"

_This...this idiot!_

"Ben, you're _injured!_ On your _feet,_ no less. You shouldn't be walking anywhere! I'll carry you-"

"You can't be _serious!"_

"Of course I am! 'Why would I bring it up if I wasn't?'"

 _"Don't_ use my words against me!"

"Stop being a _stubborn_ bastard and maybe I wouldn't have to!"

~

_I'll show him stubborn._

"I refuse."

"Why?!"

"I don't need to be treated like this!"

"Like what?!"

His father's words came back to mind.

"Like I'm a _useless_ _toddler!"_

Five faltered. 

*

_A useless toddler? I've never suggested I thought of him as such? Ben's never thought that way either. Those words sound like someone else._

He frowned. There was only one person who would use those words. 

_That bastard._

~

"He's wrong."

_Huh? What is Five talking about?_

"Who is?"

"Dad."

His blood turned cold.

_Oh, so he figured it out. Those words._

"..."

"I know he's wrong, Ben."

He frowned.

*

"How could you _possibly_ know that?! How could you even say that when I'm sitting in front of you with injuries on my feet that make it difficult to _walk?!_ He’s _right!_ I _am_ useless-"

"You're _not."_

_Why does he believe that? He's done so much more than what our dad can see._

"Don't _lie_ to me-"

"I'm not lying to you. Do you want to know why?"

"..."

"It's because I _know_ you do so much more than what he realizes. You help Luther, motivate Diego, humor Allison, cheer up Klaus, include Vanya. You stay up with me. You put up with me, with our family and their insane hijinks."

_Why can't you see what I see in you?_

"But Dad said-"

_That fucking asshole?!_

~

"Who gives a _shit_ about Dad?! He's done nothing but torture and exhaust us! It doesn't matter what he says because he doesn't see the _real_ you. He doesn't see _Ben._ He only sees _Number Six;_ an _experiment,_ something to _control,_ to hold _power_ over. But the rest of us? _We_ see you. _I_ see you, Ben."

He felt his breath leave him as he debated on what Five just said. 

_Five...he's right. Father doesn't know me. He doesn't know any of us._

A smile split across his face.

_He's right._

*

The smile on Ben's face reassured him that his words got through. He didn't heal Ben, not fully as that will take time, but he made him feel better. 

_As long as he's content._

"Will you let me carry you now? I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Ben nodded.

_"Thank you."_

He picked him up again. He smiled before blinking to his room.

~

He hid his blush in Fives neck as he was picked up. He felt so _safe._ It was perfect to be in Five's arms.

 _Woah, calm down there, heart._ It was beating rapidly.

Five teleported them to his room, carefully placing him in the bed. Five made sure to put some pillows under his feet, probably as a precaution.

_Perfect. Well almost._

*

Ben held out his hands to him. He realized that he wanted to cuddle. He usually would have joined without hesitation, but…

"I don't want to accidentally irritate your injury."

"Five, it's _fine._ You've been through worse and still forced _me_ to cuddle with _you._ I'm only returning the favor."

He couldn't help but get flustered at that comment.

"Well, I-"

"Just _come here."_

"But I still have a mess on me, let me take a bath real quick-"

"No."

"Ben-"

_"Five."_

Ben started to whine, so he shut up and joined him. As he lay by his side, he was overcome with euphoria.

_This is all I need in life. Just Ben and it'll all be okay._

_~_

As he stared into Five's eyes, he had an epiphany.

(He wasn't the only one)

*

_Maybe…_

~

_Just maybe…_

*

_I'm in love._

~

_I'm in love._

*

_Looks like we're both starting to drift off to sleep._

~

_Just a quick nap before lunch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we have our first chapter! I was originally planning for this to be a short fic, but my mind got carried away as I was typing it out...and here we are! :)
> 
> So, for this beginning, I wanted to introduce Ben and Five's relationship dynamics! Of course, I added some of their relationship with their siblings. I couldn't resist adding Klaus in to join in on the fun! Also, I needed to add in Reginald's methods and why they fear him. He truly is cruel to them all.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! ~ XYZ


	2. The Situations Beforehand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another look into some family dynamics :)
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.

*

"...just _look_ at them!" 

"I _am._ T-they're right in front of me."

He slowly became conscious as he heard whispers around him.

"You called us here for _this?"_

"Way to waste our time, Klaus."

"I think it's quite sweet."

 _"Thank_ _you,_ Vanya."

_Vanya?_

He blinked his eyes open and saw blurry figures surrounding his bed. They didn't notice him awakening as they continued talking.

"We didn't need this in our lives."

"I'll say."

"Wha- _of course_ you did! It's almost as essential as Diego's new style!"

"T-this _isn't_ a new style! How many times do I have to tell you?! I was forced into this!"

"Yeah, sure thing, big guy."

He felt irritation rush through him.

_Why are they here?_

"We shouldn't even be in here, Five will break our necks if he finds out."

"He's not even awake! We're fine, I'm just going to take a quick pic-"

"For what?"

"What do you think?"

_Blackmail then._

While he would love to forever have this peaceful moment captured, he also didn't want his family to use it against him. He saw Klaus bring up the faintest shape of a camera. Before anyone could stop him, he blinked behind him and kicked the back of his knees. Klaus fell and the others backed away in shock. He gave them a death stare. 

"You all _really_ should have taken Vanya's advice and left."

He cracked his knuckles and snorted at them sprinting to the other side of the room. At that moment, he heard a soft moan. 

_Guess Ben's awake now_.

"Mmmm, Fivey? Wha's going on? Come back and hold meh, is cooollddd-'' Ben slurred.

He blushed as his siblings snickered at the comment. He took a menacing step towards them and they shut up.

"I _would_ Ben, but it seems we have an audience."

"Hmm?"

It took a while for Ben to process his words. Once he did, Ben sat straight up and flushed red. Ben looked at all of them before putting his face in his hands. He felt pity for him.

"While everyone still has the chance to speak, I suggest someone inform me as to why you all are standing in my room, _without_ my permission."

They kept silent.

_"Well?"_

He took another step towards them. Everyone shouted in sync, shoving the guilty forward and pointing at him.

"It was Klaus!"

Klaus was left speechless. He moved his mouth like a fish before he regained his bearings.

"Wow, _thanks,_ guys, now I know who would have my back! No one!" Five directed his glower at the accused.

"You, huh?" Klaus went pale.

"W-wait, Five! I can explain!"

"I was counting on it. Better pray it's a good enough reason."

"Uh, well I, uh, I...uhhh…"

"Yes?" He took another step towards him.

"I-I was looking around for Ben because lunch is soon and I wanted to talk to him about something, then I stumbled upon you two snuggling! It was cute, so I brought the others to see! I'm sorry, Five." He pouted.

Unfortunately for Klaus, that look doesn't work on him.

...but it worked on Ben. And he had lifted his head just in time to see it.

~

"Five, let him be. He had good intentions."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"Come on, please?"

"...fine." Klaus looked relieved. "But only if they all get the hell out. Right _now."_ A pause. Then, they all ran out, stumbling over one another's feet. 

He huffed out a laugh.

"Thank you for sparing the idiot."

"Yeah, well, only for you."

He smiled at Five, swinging his legs out from under the blanket (when did they even put that on?), and off the bed. Five walked over and examined his dirty bandages. 

"We should probably change them. Lunch is soon, so we need to hustle."

_Lunch..._

"Okay."

"Wait here."

"No, Five, let me just stand on my _injured_ feet and sprint away."

"You know, _I'm_ the one assisting you."

"I'm aware."

"...well, okay then."

Five blinked away and came back with another roll of bandages. Five sat in front of him and got to work replacing the dressings.

"You're fortunate that the blanket covered your feet from the others' vision."

_Oh, yeah!_

"I didn't even realize that! Thank goodness, I wouldn't want to inconvenience them."

"You're not an inconvenience. Trust me."

"Do you know when we put it on?"

"I vaguely remember throwing it over us before we fell asleep."

"Oh, yeah. Now that you mention it, I remember that as well."

"Dimwit."

"Thanks."

"Of course."

"...you know...I have to walk on my own for lunch _and_ practice. If Dad sees you carrying me, we'll get disastrous consequences."

"I concluded that...what if the actions reopen your wounds? They've just started to heal."

"We're going to have to take that risk." 

_We have no choice._

"At least let me carry you to the entrance where he won't see us. It'd be wise to keep you off your feet for as much as possible."

_That's reasonable._

"Clever."

"I know."

"Jerk."

"Yup."

Five finished just as a bell rang out from the floor under them. 

_It's time._

"Make sure Mom doesn't see us either."

Five nodded picking him up and teleporting next to the dining room's passageway. He winced when his feet touched the floor. He couldn't let that hold him back, he needed to be strong now. So, with that, he brushed off Fives' concerned gaze and tried not to make his limp obvious as he went to stand by his designated seat. Five followed his shadow and stood across from him.

*

While they waited for their father to arrive, he took the chance to scan his siblings. Vanya was staring down at her feet. Most likely, she's thinking of what's to come for their group practice. (Father makes her help him then and it's the only time she's allowed in the training room.) Luther was as professional as always. And by that, he means Luther was sharing glances with Allison and lightly laughing. Speaking of her, Allison was glowing with pride, obviously glad about something. He couldn't bother to figure out what it was. Then, there was Klaus, who was stealing glances at Diego before giggling into his palm. Meanwhile, Diego kept an expressionless facade.

_Probably preparing himself for their father's inevitable comment on it. At least he kept his promise._

He smirked, making eye contact with Ben. They both had the same thought as they tried to get rid of their expressions before their father walked in. They barely got their features under control when Reginald waltzed in. Everyone stood at attention. Father assessed all of them before sitting down. He motioned for them to do the same, so they did.

Lunch was already set in front of them, so they dug in as a monologue filled the background. As always, no one talked, but then their _father_ broke the silence. That set off alarms in his mind. Reginald _never_ interrupted the sermon.

"I've been informed of a very interesting event that's happened."

He saw Ben go stiff. He couldn't criticize him, he tensed at that sentence as well.

_Shit._

~

_Does he know?_

He was shifting in his seat, resolutely keeping his gaze on his plate of food. Their father continued.

"It appears that someone decided not to clean up after themselves, leaving chaos behind. I expect all of you to be better than that. Therefore, I wish for the culprit to reveal themselves."

_In Five's panic about me, we forgot about the mess he made from baking._

He connected eyes with Five. Five had a neutral gaze, besides for some annoyance swimming through it.

_Why is he irritated?_

*

_This piece of shit._

"There is no need for dramatics, Father. The culprit is clearly me. As everyone can see, I'm covered in flour and dough. I don't see why you couldn't just call me out and give me a punishment."

"Given the childish action committed, I assumed you would lie to me."

"Well, we're no longer children."

"If that were the case, there wouldn't be a jumble of ingredients spread across the kitchen."

"I simply forgot."

"Only children do that, I thought you weren't one?"

"Is there a point to this?"

"Let it be known that these actions will not be tolerated. No one else shall make this mistake in the future. Number Five, tidy up the havoc you left behind after practice. I will decide on your punishment when I return."

_Return?_

Luther decided to say something at that.

"Where are you going, Father?"

"That is none of your concern, Number One. I will leave at early dawn tomorrow. I will return in a few days. I expect all of you to be in your rut or heat by the time I return."

_Of course, he would skip our birthday. He only cares about the outcome._

Everyone nodded their heads. Dad took his gaze off of him and moved it to Diego, who went still.

_Shit, maybe we should've been more lenient on him._

~

_Oh, fuck, Dad's already pissed. We didn't account for that. This will end terribly for Diego._

"Number Two, why are you wearing that on your face? It's only for females and omegas. I was under the impression you were an alpha _male."_

_Great, he touched on Diego's sore spot._

He could already tell Diego's stutter will prevent him from forming coherent sentences. That will just make their dad more pissed. He noted that Five was about to open his mouth.

_He can't take the blame for this, double punishments won't be good for him. I should probably step in, I can handle the consequences._

"It's my fault, Father. I forced Diego."

His siblings all stared at him in shock. Dad snapped his piercing gaze at him. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine. He looked back at their dad and kept his gaze steady.

_Might as well go all in._

"If anyone should get a punishment, it _will_ be me."

_Holy shit, I'm screwed._

*

He grew horrified as he listened to Ben. He was the only one who resisted, hence all his punishments. He knew the consequences, but he could handle them. He wasn't quite sure if Ben could.

_What the fuck is he thinking? I could've taken the fault!_

"Is that so, Number Six?"

_No. NO!_

He opened his mouth but was quickly interrupted by Ben.

"It is."

"Very well, then. I shall decide on Number Five's _and_ your punishments when I return."

Reginald didn't talk any further. He couldn't help but gape at Ben. When Ben noticed, he sent him a reassuring look with a message conveying through his eyes: _Trust me._ He closed his jaw and nodded, continuing with his lunch.

_It's too late to do anything now. All I can do is trust him._

The rest of lunch passed by without excitement.

~

As soon as their father released them from lunch, Five rushed up to his side. He looked anxious as he stared at him. He could tell it was because of earlier and not his slight agony from his wounds. They had some time before group practice, so when they were out of sight, Five rushed to grab him and teleport out of there.

They appeared in Five's room. He was pushed to sit on the bed as Five paced back and forth. He watched Five for a while before it got annoying.

"Five, just trust me, it will be _fine."_

"I _do_ trust you, which is why I didn't comment on it at lunch. I-" Five paused his steps and sat down next to him. Five grasped his hand. He felt his heart speed up. "I'm just _worried_ about you, that's all. You've seen what he does for my punishments. I don't want you going through that."

"If you can do it, then so can I. I wouldn't want to be upstaged by you, after all."

"...I suppose you're right." Five said with a grin.

"Come on, we have practice in a few minutes." He lifted his hands around Five's neck.

"Finally stopped resisting?"

"Well, I _am_ emotionally exhausted from lunch. I expect you to treat me better after that. I _am_ your best friend."

Five rolled his eyes as he complied. Before Five could teleport, Diego stepped through the door.

"There you _are!_ I wanted to-" Diego paused as he took in their position. Five currently held him in his arms, bridal style. They both turned scarlet at having been caught like that. "Oh...am I interrupting something?"

"No!" They simultaneously squeaked. He shoved at Five's chest and landed on his feet. He flinched before he played it off by walking forward. Five pursued him.

_That hurt like shit, ow._

"Um, okay? Anyway, I wanted to thank you, Ben, for saving my ass back there. I'm sure he would've killed me if my stutter prevented me from answering."

"Of course, Diego, it was our fault for forcing you into that. I didn't expect Dad to be pissed. I'm sorry." He nudged Five.

"I apologize too. We severely miscalculated his reaction."

"Don't w-worry about it. Oh, yeah, speaking of that. Can I take off this face paint now?"

"Go ahead. It is group practice now, so you kept your promise. Don't worry, we won't do anything else to you." He replied.

"Great, I'm going to go do that real fast. I'll see you two at practice!" Diego ran off.

"Well, that was interesting."

"I agree...can you carry me now?"

*

He stood in front of the training room doors. Luckily, no one was around as he set Ben on his feet. That would've been awkward to explain, like with Diego earlier. He grew worried about what was about to happen.

"Are you _sure_ you can do this?"

"For the millionth time, Five, _yes._ I'll be alright. Besides, it's not like I have much of an option."

"What are you two standing around for?"

They whirled around and came face-to-face with Vanya. She was clutching a notebook, pen, and stopwatch in her hands.

_Is that for today?_

"Hey V, we just arrived and were gathering our energy." He replied.

"Oh, okay."

"Is that for today's practice?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what his plans are."

"What a shame."

"Well, if you're that curious to know, we better walk in. We'll be late in a minute."

"Oh, shit."

Swiveling back around, all three of them entered the room.

_What the shit?_

They were met with the rest of their siblings holding blindfolds. Next to them was a huge winding obstacle course. He couldn't make out what it had within it, but he already felt worn just staring at it.

 _How did he get this here? How did it even fit?_ _I don't remember the room being this big._

Ignoring his confusion, he led Ben to stand by the others. They grabbed the blindfolds that were left and waited for instructions.

Their father spoke up once he saw them all gathered. He was standing on a platform that would be able to view everything. Vanya stood next to him. Along with them were monitors, which looked like they held views of...a maze?

"Since I won't be here for a few days and you will all be distracted with presentations, I've decided to make this practice more challenging than usual. As you all can see, you will be going through an obstacle course. Furthermore, you will all be blindfolded as you make your way through. You are not allowed to glance or you will face harsh consequences. You may not use your powers (Ben let out a sigh of relief). Additionally, you must all complete the course in a limited amount of time. If you do not, you will go again until you do. The ones who finish within that time limit are free to leave. If you continue to fail by dinner time, then you will receive no dinner, you must complete the course. The limit is ten minutes."

He felt his jaw drop. He could see that all of theirs did.

_Ten minutes?! We won't be able to see anything! How will we be able to run through it?! Shit, this is endurance and Ben can barely walk._

He glanced at Ben and they shared a worried look.

~

That night, after practice (and after the kitchen and Five were clean), he laid with Five in his room. (They might be a bit too large to fit as well as when they were younger, but they refused to get rid of the habit.) His feet throbbed, but he was snuggled deep into Five's chest, so he didn't think about it. What he was thinking about was the upcoming day. 

_Oh, God. Dad already seems to hate me for not controlling my powers as well as the others. I’m already almost fucking sixteen, I should be able to handle the Horror. Why am I the only one unable to control their abilities?! What am I going to do if I end up as a beta?_ _Great, there’s no telling how much more he’ll hate me if that happens._

His face must have been morphing into one of despair because Five decided to suddenly speak up.

“Benny Bun?”

His thoughts immediately halted. He let out tiny giggles that became paired with a soft smile. Taking his head out of Five’s chest and looking up into kind eyes, he remembered when Five first used that nickname.

 _Goddamn Five for knowing what to say all the time._ He thought with a smile.

He truly is great to us, isn’t he?

 _Huh?_ _Who was that?_

Nothing responded so he assumed he imagined it. He was so confused at the abrupt, unknown voice that he didn’t register Five’s words. 

*

 _It seems like Ben is lost in time,_ he thought, amusedly, as Ben didn't respond to his previous questions. He noticed Ben staring at him with a faraway look in his eyes.

“Hello? You alright there Ben? You sure are blanking out a lot for someone who is supposedly so observant.” He smirked. That seemed to snap Ben out of his trance as he scowled.

“Shut up, Five. I just got lost in the past for a minute.”

“Oh, getting a bit snarky, are we, Ben? I remember the days when you were so innocent and cute. They seem _oh_ so long ago.” His smirk started to stretch before Ben’s scowl disappeared. 

_Wait, shit, did that hurt him-_

“Wow, are you saying I’m no longer cute, _Space Prince?”_ Ben stared at him with murderous puppy eyes, that shone with mischief, and a strong pout. And-

 _GOD DAMN IT. Ben knows exactly how much those eyes affect me. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. Don’t fall for it Five, he’ll never let you live it down!_

Ben’s pout got bigger, as did his eyes, which started to glisten with tears. 

_N-no. Stay strong Five...stay...s-stay, uh...uhhh. Cute. Ben. Ben’s cute. He shouldn't be sad. He’s way too adorable to be sad. There should never be a frown on his face and-wait, what was he just convincing himself not to do? Who knows...wait. WAIT. BEN!_

“I...I-I’m saying that you’re not _as_ cute as you used to be.” The tears got bigger in Ben’s eyes. So, he did the only logical action for him at that instance of time. He started rambling. “But only because you've become more handsome instead! It ruled out some of your cuteness. N-not that you’re not cute. You're still also very cute! You’re the cutest! Absolutely adorable! And you’re handsome! So that’s a...win?” God, he felt like a lovestruck _idiot_ ...which, to be fair, he _was._ But, he was usually more graceful with his words.

Ben's mouth twitched upwards into a smug smile due to his _(stupid)_ outburst. Then, Ben started to release soft giggles. Soon, those turned into low chuckles before becoming full-blown laughter. The fake (that little fucking _asshole_ ) tears in Ben’s eyes ended up falling due to how hard he was laughing. He felt flames dance their way up to his cheeks as he blushed. Hard.

_I can’t believe I love this fucking asshole. Why do I even put up with him again?_

As Ben’s melodious laughter echoed around the room and his smile shone in the dark, he was filled with pure mirth.

_Oh yeah...that’s why._

He smiled brightly, even if he looked like a tomato, and leaned his head down upon Ben’s, shushing him so that he doesn’t end up waking the whole family, including their asshole of a father. It worked well enough if Ben’s fading laughs were anything to go by. There was some concern on whether they _(Ben)_ were too loud, but Five shoved the worry away. No sounds were heard from outside Ben’s bedroom door, so he presumed they were alright. Ben continued to snicker lightly, before quieting down completely. As Ben fell quiet, his face turned somber. He immediately knew what Ben was thinking about. Their happy moment ruined, he let out a huge sigh and hugged Ben closer to himself, wanting to shield him from the harsh world their father retained them in. He started to whisper comforting words into Ben’s ear as the clock slowly turned to midnight. 

~

By the time both clock hands pointed towards the stars, he was falling into a nice slumber. He heard one last sentence from Five before he fully dove into his dreams.

“Happy Birthday to us, Ben.”

(He felt a small pressure on his forehead, but was too exhausted to recognize what it was.)

*

As soon as he determined Ben was completely asleep, he blinked out of the room, so that they would not get into trouble if someone found them together. Collapsing onto his bed, he felt the distant warmth that Ben provided when he was in his arms. It slowly disappeared and a sudden chill ran over him as his mind wandered to what the morning would behold. He ignored it, however, in favor of getting sleep as he knew what was to come for him to be an alpha. He needs rest, so he is somewhat sane enough to not murder his siblings. (He doubts it will work, but it's worth a shot.) As his mind grew closer to darkness, he pondered one question.

_Will everything remain the same?_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new character??? Who could it be???
> 
> ...
> 
> Moving on, yes, I did cut out their training as it will be quite long and not really essential to the story. I will make a chapter of it, however, for those who are curious. There will also be an extra chapter on the origins of the pet names.
> 
> Hope you had a good read! ~ XYZ


	3. The Flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's the time Five thought of that nickname for Ben and vice-versa. Everything will be in italics this chapter because it's a flashback.
> 
> \--Neutral P.O.V

\--

_ It was when they were both eight years old. Ben had been having a hard day as the monsters within him were being more unstable than usual. To keep the others from harm, he refused to go to training that day. Of course, Reginald was not thrilled with his “rebellious” action. He quickly set up a punishment for Six to make an example out of him for anyone else thinking of rebelling. He announced it at dinner that day.  _

_ “Number Six due to your earlier decision of missing out on your scheduled training, I have decided for you to not be allowed dinner today.” As Reginald spoke these words, Grace came around and took Ben’s plate of food away. The others could only look on in shock. They needed to eat in order to keep control of their abilities,  _ especially _ Ben. "Additionally, you will not be allowed any meals for tomorrow. There will be no free time for you. Instead, you will spend the whole day training, from morning to night.”  _

_ Ben went still with fear, face losing its color. There was no way he could command the Horror for that long. He whispered out a small, incoherent noise that sounded like a “what,” before it was overshadowed by Five’s loud outburst. _

_ “What?!” Five shouted, rising from his chair. _

_ “Number Five! This is none of your concern, be seated at once and continue with the rest of your dinner. ” _

_ “You- are you serious right now, father?! There’s no way that Benny, uh, Ben will be able to manage the Horror without the energy from food. You  _ know _ that as well as I do!” _

_ “Number Six knew the consequences of his actions and still decided to ignore his training for the day. Instead, he locked himself in his room like a coward and only came down for dinner. It is time for him to learn what happens when you disobey.” _

_ “He explained to you that the monsters were being uncontrollable, he was only trying to protect us-” _

_ “I expect all of you to be able to protect yourselves from anything and everything. There was no reason for Number Six to hide away as he should already be able to handle his abilities. We are finished with this conversation, Number Five. Number Six  _ will _ accept his punishment and do as I instructed.” _

_ “No, that’s not fair-” _

_ “Five,” Ben interrupted, sending him a pleading look, “It’s okay. Father is right. It’s my fault and I will accept my punishment for being disobedient.”  _

_ Five looked ready to continue arguing but kept quiet due to Ben’s puppy dog eyes asking for him to stop so things do not escalate. Looking down, he slammed his hands on the table, with all the might of an eight-year-old, and walked away as he did not trust his powers to work well due to his rage. He ignored his dad’s commands to come back. Ben could only watch and force himself not to follow after him. However, that was not a problem for long. _

_ “Number Six, leave the table as you are not allowed dinner, there is no reason for you to be here. I do not wish to see you at the moment.”  _

_ While the words stung, Ben followed the order nonetheless. Getting up, he excused himself and calmly walked out of the dining area. That act of serenity lasted until he was out of sight from his family because then he was bolting to his room with uncontrollable tears streaming down his cheeks. He went as silently as possible, not wanting to risk getting in more trouble, and closing his bedroom door behind him, proceeded to collapse on his bed and sob.  _

_ Ben felt like he cried for hours before he felt a presence behind him. He quickly stopped crying and wiped off the leftover tears, standing up. Yet, he couldn’t withhold the small whimpers that left his mouth or make his red, swollen eyes disappear. He just hoped that whoever was there wouldn’t mention anything.  _

_ Of course, he should have suspected who it was when they appeared in his room out of nowhere. He didn't even hear the door open. It really could've only been Five, the one person who always watches over him. His mellow voice floating through the air had a huge effect on Ben, calming him down significantly as he turned to face him. _

_ “Ben? Benny? Are you okay?”  _

_ Ben could only let out a watery chuckle before the tears quickly flowed out again. Soon, he was weeping into his hands as he fell and curled up on the floor. The presence was no longer there and he knew that Five was gone. It really shouldn't have hurt as much as it did. After all, it was about time that Five got tired of looking after Ben. About time he saw what their father saw in Ben. About time that he realized Ben was useless and a crybaby and a-a  _ monster _ and-and- _

_ As fast as he left, Five came back, surprising him. He kneeled before Ben and set aside an object he brought, then placed his hands lightly on Ben’s face and lifted his head. As they made eye contact, Five smiled gently and wiped away the new tears Ben had created, causing Ben to give a small, sad smile back. _

_ “Don’t cry, Benny. You’re too cute to cry.” _

_ “Cute?” Ben blinked innocently as he said the word.  _

_ Five’s heart stuttered at that, which he was positive wasn’t natural. Was there something wrong with him? _

_ “Yeah, you’re as cute as a, uh, as a-a-” Five looked around for something to compare Ben to when his eyes landed on the stuffed rabbit he brought to cheer Ben up. “A rabbit. As cute as a bunny, Ben.”  _

_ As he finished his sentence he lifted the rabbit to Ben’s eye level, so that he could see it. _

_ “R-really?” Ben’s eyes lit up at the sight of the rabbit in Five’s hand, excited to know he remembered his current favorite animal.  _

_ “Of course. You’re my bunny. My Benny Bun.” Five smiled wide as if he solved all the world’s mysteries, heart melting at the sight of joy in Ben’s eyes. _

_ Usually, nicknames were not for Five, but for Ben, he would do anything. _

_ Ben blushed and smiled back just as wide, happy that Five thought he was cute. There was no better compliment than that for him. He reached out and took the rabbit from Five’s grasp, hugging it tightly against his chest. It was then that he realized that Five was his lifesaver and nothing can ever get better than him. He was Ben’s…Well, he was Ben’s, something inside of Ben decided. He thought that was weird. _

_ "Benny Bun?" _

_ "I want to give you a cute name too, Five!" _

_ "Of course, anything for you." _

_ "What a gentleman." Ben giggled. "You know Five, you're like a prince." _

_ "Is that so?" _

_ "Yup, a real-life Prince Charming." _

_ "What? I'm not him. He seems like a buffoon and I'm not shallow enough to only fall for someone's attractiveness." _

_ "But he saved her from a life of enslavement." _

_ "She could've escaped by herself. It just so happened that a man helped her first, doesn't mean he was a great guy." _

_ "Fine then…what about the Beast?" _

_ "From Beauty and the Beast? Wasn't that Stockholm syndrome?" _

_ "Oh my  _ God, _ Five. Stop ruining the fairy tales.” _

_ "I will when they stop being stupid." _

_ "They're supposed to give you hope." _

_ "They give you many things. Including instructions on how to force someone to fall in love with you." _

_ "N-no that's not-" Ben knew Five wouldn't listen. "Fine, whatever, but you still have princely qualities." _

_ "Not qualities of a king?" _

_ "You're too conceited for that." _

_ "Aren't all kings that way?" _

_ "No! Don't question my reasoning, Space Prince." _

_ "Fine, fine. Wait-Space Prince?" _

_ "Yup, Space Prince. You can go through space and you're like a prince, so…" Ben suddenly became worried it sounded stupid. "Do you like it?" _

_ "I love it, Ben. Thank you." _

_ Ben beamed. _

_. _

_. _

_. _

_ Five was able to sneak Ben some meals the next day to help him focus as he trained. It improved their relationship even more than before. Both parties felt a happy tug on their hearts when they realized. _

  
  
  


_ (“You know, Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale and you just disrespected it.” _

_ “I thought Cinderella was your favorite? You always tell everyone it is.” _

_ “No, that one just gives me hope that one day we’ll be free. I love Beauty and the Beast because the Beast reminds me of you.” _

_ “I remind you of a selfish kidnapper?” _

_ “No! You and him are just big softies on the inside but have been hurt so much that they are cold to everyone. You both deserve a happy ending.” _

_ “That’s cute...but I’m still not a selfish weirdo who forces someone to live with them.” _

_ “Stop.”) _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little sweet chapter of them. It's kinda important for later, but that's really for you to decide when I eventually bring it up. Next, is their group practice before we continue on to their 16th birthdays!
> 
> Hope you liked it! ~ XYZ


	4. The Intermission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, so, you don't really need to read this? Your choice! :)
> 
> Go, Team Zero! :D
> 
> \-- Neutral P.O.V

\--

"On to what the course holds. Your first obstacle will be swimming. Attached weights will be locked to you at this part, secured to your wrists. You have to swim to the end and dive down to find the key that will separate the weights from you. Each person will have a different key for their constraints, so you will have to get the correct one for your pair. Once you're free, you can continue to the second obstacle. 

This one tests your agility. There are platforms that move aimlessly across a pit filled with spikes full of air. Make it to the end without falling. Crossing it will allow you to face the third obstacle. 

There, enormous mallets made of cotton will be swinging at various speeds. There are a total of five. Make it past without being hit. Fear not, if you are hit it won't be too painful. However, you will still be tossed aside. To cushion your fall are safety mats. 

The fourth obstacle will check your knowledge. You will discover a maze. There are several closed doors within it. To open them, get the correct answer to a trivia question that will be asked by Number Seven through a speaker. You only need to answer one question per team. Once you reach the other side, head to the last obstacle.

Last, is a tower that you must ascend. Ring the bell at the top. There are various exercises to complete to do so. This includes jumping and climbing. Ringing the bell will mean you have finished the whole obstacle course. Each person must ring the bell to signify their end. 

If at any stage you fail, you will have to wait for the others to either fail or succeed. You will try again in the next round. This will also happen if the time limit runs out. Number Seven will announce when someone has failed and when the time runs out. I advise you all to work together, but it is your preference. You are allowed time to discuss before each round. Number Seven will go to place the locked weights on you in a matter of time."

They stood still for a beat as they gathered their thoughts.

 _I'm sure if we work together, we'll be able to figure it out. But, if I were to go alone, it could be faster…it would also be efficient to go in pairs. Maybe I can sort us out and have my team lead._ Luther contemplated.

 _I'll be an asset to the first challenge with my ability to indefinitely hold my breath, but I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to wait for everyone. I don't want to be the guy that leaves them behind...maybe I can just help Klaus._ Diego mused.

 _If I stick with Luther, we'll be able to finish this quickly, we work well as a team. But I can't leave the rest of them behind to suffer! It would be best if we all stick together._ Allison mulled.

 _Ex-squeeze me? I can barely walk straight with my eyes wide open! How am I supposed to do this blindfolded? Aw, come onnnn...maybe I can get someone to help me?_ Klaus pondered.

 _That's way too many layers to the obstacle! It's going to be problematic to finish in 10 minutes. God damn it. If I think logically, it would be wise of us to work together. Or would partners be more efficient?_ Five debated.

 _Are you kidding me?! Out of all days for this, it has to be the day where I can barely walk. I can only pray that adrenaline will get me through this._ _It would be best if I stick with someone...but that would slow them down._ Ben considered.

In the back of their minds, all of them thought the same thing.

_We're screwed._

They formed a circle and threw out some ideas. 

"I don't think it would be wise of us to go as a team, pairs or singles will work better." Luther started.

"I doubt that. It would be best for us to stick together," Allison replied.

"One big team will slow everyone down. We can't always wait for people to catch up." Diego commented.

"Pairs seem like the best option. It would be good to have someone watch your back." Ben answered.

"I agree, it would help to have someone else add to your skill. Especially, for the trivia part! Everyone knows different things." Klaus explained.

"We have to focus on the time."

"We're blindfolded, we can't even see it."

"It would be idiotic for us to go alone."

"It would be just as bad for all of us to go together."

"What about having someone lead?"

"That person wouldn't help much. If we followed one it would be difficult for us all to finish."

"What else can we do?"

"Go in pairs!"

"Then we'll have to come up with the most efficient ones."

"What if we split into two groups?"

Five was the only one still assessing the situation. Eventually, he cut through all of them.

"While I realize all of us have different ideas and want to lead, I need you all to listen to me while we have the time. You can add your inputs after." They hesitated, before eventually nodding. This was very crucial, after all, and they didn't want to stay there all night. "It will undoubtedly take a couple of rounds, but I know we can eventually finish it. Going through it alone seems faster than working as a team, but it won't be as efficient. I believe I've figured out the most promising method.

For the first course, we should all swim to the end and have Diego find the keys. He can hold his breath indefinitely, which will be essential here. We'll have the people who can hold their breath for a long time help him. Those who can't hold it as long will wait at the top and try to determine the key pairings. Half on top and half underwater should work. That way we won't have to worry about both at the same time. The pool is long but not wide, so we should be able to stick and work together.

On the second one, we should split into pairs and help each other across. Grab the person closest to you and leave. Hold hands or link arms with your partner. It would be best to let the lighter person go first so that they can locate the platform safely. If they were to fall, their partner can catch them so they don't fail. Remember that the platforms are moving randomly, so you will have to do this as quickly as possible.

Once you finish that course, don't wait for the other pairs, continue onto the third course. Do it alone. Going in pairs will be fatal due to the various speeds the mallets go. Holding hands will only fail both partners.

When you have passed that, stay by the entrance for a group to go with you. Here we split up into two groups of three. Anyone who finishes close to you or a bit before/after you will be with you for that course. Go through the maze together, so that you will have more knowledge combined for the trivia questions.

After completing that, sprint to the tower and ascend it as fast as you can. Just make sure to ring the bell when you get up there.

After you finish each round, call out and everyone will respond in kind so we have some sense as to where everyone is. This will make it more efficient in gathering and working with your partner/partners. Say your name or something that will help identify who's who. Be cautious not to leave the last person alone, they need to go in a pair as well. I only say this because I know all your potentials and we should all finish around the same time, no one should be too far behind. It is up to you if you wish to complete this without everyone else, no one will hold it against you. Even if we fail for a couple of rounds, we will become more familiar with the actions and our teamwork. Ultimately, we will complete it within the time limit. Any comments or concerns?" 

Everyone stared at Five, trying to process his proposed strategy. They all knew it was a brilliant one.

"Holy shit, Five, that's clever!" Luther.

"Did you _just_ come up with that? In the limited time, we had to discuss?" Diego.

"With that strategy, we're sure to finish soon!" Klaus.

"I think it's as flawless as we're going to get." Allison.

"Seems like everyone's in favor of it, let's do this then." Ben.

"Fantastic, let's determine who will go underwater and who won't." Five.

\--

Everyone watched as Vanya walked towards them. They were lined up in order, each standing at attention. When she got close enough, Ben noticed strange symbols on the weights. They each had one. He was the only one who noticed, the rest preoccupied in their heads.

 _Are those...animals?_ Ben thought.

He ignored it, looking to the obstacle course. They each had subdued expressions, preparing themselves for today’s training exercise. When Vanya finished locking the weights to their wrists, they walked to their position near the beginning of the pool and put on the blindfolds. They had one last look at their trials before the world went dark.

\--

“You will begin when the gun is fired,” Reginald informed, staring out at all of them getting into position to dive. Vanya returned by his side and wore a dark look across her eyes. A moment's pause before a booming noise echoed throughout the room. They simultaneously leaped into the pool. 

**Round 1**

The ice-cold water pushed adrenaline through their veins as they raced forward. Swimming as quickly as possible, Diego reached the end first, only recognizing it when his head thumped against the wall. He immediately dove down into the depths and waited for his hands to touch the base. Following closely was Five, Luther somewhat far behind him. As Diego reached the bottom and started feeling around for keys, Allison pulled herself onto the top platform. A moment later, Ben hauled himself up. They both helped lift Klaus out of the water when he yelped. They all kneeled by one another next to the water and stared out into the depths, even if they couldn’t see anything. 

As they waited, underwater, Diego felt his hand brush against something solid. He immediately grasped it and handed it off to the person next to him. He couldn’t tell who it was, but he felt them swim upwards. He continued searching and came across two keys this time. He searched around for his other partner but found nothing. A pause and then a figure collided with him. He shoved them away and pushed the keys into their hands, sensing them go up as well. Up top, Five broke through the surface and called out for the ones on top, moving towards the edge. They crawled towards him and reached out, Allison grabbing the key in his hands. As soon as she had it, Five took a gasp of air and dove back down, the surface people only hearing a splash of water. 

“How are we supposed to figure out the key pairings? Trial and error will take way too long.” Allison asked.

“Give it here, maybe there is some indication to help us out,” Ben said, reaching blindly towards Allison’s voice. She passed it over and he felt around it. When he got to the key head, he touched a weird shape. Feeling around it, he noticed it was in the shape of an animal. He concluded it was a rabbit due to its long ears. “That’s strange, the key head is in the shape of a rabbit.”

“A rabbit? How’s that supposed to help us?? Maybe it’s our favorite animals?” Klaus asked.

“No, that doesn’t make sense. Dad wouldn’t know that information,” Allison responded.

“Wait a minute...that’s it!” Ben shouted. “I remember noticing animal symbols on our weights before we put on our blindfolds! They must coordinate with that!”

“We have a symbol on our weights?” Allison wondered.

“That won’t help us either then! We don’t know who has what animal!” Klaus whined.

“That’s not true. I think I remember who had what. Let’s see…” Ben spoke. “Okay, uh, if memory serves me right; Luther had a pig, Diego a horse, Five had a dragon, I got a ram, Klaus, you got a snake, and Allison had the rabbit! That means this should free you, Ally!" He returned the key to her and listened for the sound of a lock clicking open.

"You know, I take offense in having the snake. I feel like that was on purpose," said Klaus.

"I doubt that Klaus, but I guess we'll never know. Moving on, it worked! I'm free!" Allison announced. 

They heard the sound of the weights striking the ground and smiled. At that moment, someone broke through the water, startling them.

"Hey, what the hell! You scared us!" Allison shouted.

"Sorry, sorry. I have two more keys, here take 'em." It was Luther's voice that reached them.

Klaus nodded, even if no one could tell, and reached out towards his voice. He immediately toppled into the water as Luther was too far. He resurfaced and yelled out, climbing back onto the platform.

"Luther, what the shit?! Get closer for heaven’s sake! Thanks to you I'm back in the water!" 

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't exactly see where you are!"

"Just swim over to the wall, you idiot!"

"Oh, yeah. Coming."

Luther grabbed the edge and held out his hand. Ben blindly reached forward, and by pure luck, made contact with Luther's hand. He took the keys and made out their shapes.

"Okay, we have the dragon and pig. We'll wait for Five to pop back up to give him his. In the meantime, here, Luther. This one should free you." Ben said as he handed the pig key back to Luther.

"How did you know that?' Luther asked as his weights fell off his wrists.

"No time to explain," Ben responded as he heard Five and Diego resurface.

"We got the rest of the keys!" Diego declared, pulling himself onto land. Five and Luther followed his lead and lifted themselves as well. Diego handed one of the keys to Luther. "Have you figured out some kind of clue on the pairings?"

"Yeah! Ben realized that the key heads each resemble an animal. They match the animal symbol we have on our weights." Klaus recited.

“I guess we do have time to explain,” Ben commented.

"Well, fuck. Isn't that clever of Dad?" Diego replied.

"It's clever of Ben for working it out," Five remarked. "Good job on that."

"Thanks…" Ben said as he blushed, thankful no one could see it. "Now, hurry and determine what animals are on the keys! Five, this dragon one is yours. Where are you?"

"Over here, follow my voice." Five called out, crawling towards Ben and meeting him halfway. He took the key and unlocked his weights, feeling them drop. "Who else needs a key?"

"Diego, Ben, and I do!" Klaus stated. "What animals are on the keys?"

"I have a horse." Diego.

"Ram." Five.

"A snake." Luther.

"Okay, Diego, that key is yours, Five has mine, and Luther, you have Klaus'," Ben spoke, making contact with Five's hand and taking the key from it. He unlocked his weights and heard them hit the ground. Luther crawled over to Klaus and helped him unlock his, Diego freeing himself. "Great, now that we're free, grab the person next to you, and go!"

Ben intertwined his hand with Five’s and stood up, rushing to the next course with him. Klaus took Luther's hand and rose with him, running after the fading footsteps. Diego and Allison also clasped hands, chasing after the others. As they ran past the middle of the platform, Five shouted out, obviously ahead of the others.

"Five with Ben!" 

"Klaus with Luther!" Klaus yelled back. The voice right on their heels.

"Diego with Allison!" Diego shouted. The voice a bit farther away.

Positions secure, Ben ran in front of Five, being the lighter of the two. He knew Five would be able to haul him up if he fell. Sensing the ground moving he pulled Five to a stop. He quickly felt the motions and stepped on the nearest passing platform. He and Five worked in harmony as they swiftly made their way through the second obstacle. Five hovering back as Ben found the path forward, only falling once with Five to pull him back up.

Klaus and Luther paused at the start of the obstacle, with Klaus being chosen to lead. They struggled to get on the first moving platform as Klaus felt terrified of the random movements. Progress was slow and Luther promptly grew exasperated, trying to convince him to go faster.

"Come on, Klaus! Hurry up!"

"I'm trying here, Luther! I don't see you leading, so you wouldn't understand! I can't seem to get how these platforms move!"

"That's because it's _random._ Get out of my way, I'll lead."

"Wait, Luther, no, I won't be able to hold you if you fall-" Klaus was trying to say, right as Luther missed the platform's edge, tumbling over and bringing Klaus with him. They fell and hit the spikes, which were soft but still punched the air out of their lungs. They tore off their blindfolds and watched the platforms move above them. "Good going, Luther."

"Well, if you went _faster-"_

"If you had _listened_ to me and been _patient-"_

"Numbers One and Four have fallen and therefore have failed," Vanya's voice rang out.

Diego and Allison were barely making progress when they heard Vanya's words. Their grip on each other tightened as they moved to go quicker. Allison led the way, only a bit uncomfortable with Diego's hand being an unfamiliar weight for her. She fell a couple of times, Diego barely catching her. Teamwork was a bit hard for them as they never worked together that much. They heard Five and Ben call out ahead of them, having just finished. Diego and Allison called back, just as they reached the end. 

Five and Ben heard the other two a bit behind them as they separated their hands and continued. Five rushed forward first, making it past the first two mallets in record time. He halted at the third one for a second as it was going rapidly. Passing it, he continued onto the fourth one.

Ben moved as soon as he felt Five leave his side. He made it past the first two but paused for a long period at the third one. He barely managed to evade it, racing on to the fourth.

Diego let go of Allison's hand and kept a steady pace. He ran past the first three without pausing, being able to quickly sense their movements.

Allison ran right behind Diego, feeling his steps ahead of her. As he passed the third mallet, it came swinging back down and hit her. She didn't have enough time to step back, so it sent her flying onto the safety mats, knocking the wind out of her. She ripped her blindfold off and lifted her head to watch the others continue. She sighed and dropped her head back onto the mat.

"Number Three has been hit and has failed," Vanya announced.

Five barely made it to the maze's entrance when he heard her. He yelled out to the others, needing to know where they were. Diego responded a couple of paces behind him and Ben being around where the last mallet was. Five only had to wait a couple of seconds for Diego to be by his side, Ben joining a bit later. They grouped and let Five lead the way into the maze, running in a triangle. He ran forward for a while before he hit a wall. As he was about to turn back with the others, they heard a question being asked and realized it was a door.

"Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903?” Vanya’s voice filtered through the path. 

“Marie Curie,” Ben answered quickly.

The door beeped once before they heard it open. They continued onwards and stood side by side.

“There’s a path on my right.” Ben.

“One on my left.” Diego.

“Blocked in front.” Five. He decided to head in Ben’s direction. “Let’s go right.”

They moved that way and bumped into a wall, Diego called for them to go left, noticing a gap there. They ran and took many turns. Left. Left. Right. Right. Left. Right. They continued to take various turns, had answered three questions, and sprinted for a while before they ran into a wall and heard Vanya again.

“The time limit has passed. Those remaining, remove your blindfolds and return to the beginning immediately.”

“Damn, we’re probably in the middle of this maze as well,” Diego commented as he took off his blindfold. 

He let his eyes adjust and saw Ben and Five do the same. They stood, unsure of how to get back, when the wall next to them let out a rumble, opening up to reveal the way back. They returned to the start of the pool, seeing Luther and Klaus arguing, Allison resting beside them. As they got closer they heard the argument.

“-and like _I_ said, it’s _your_ fault!”

“How is it _my_ fault that you were too busy trembling to make any progress!”

“It’s _your_ fault because you were too _impatient_ to wait for me to get comfortable with the movements! Is it that hard to wait?!”

 _“Yes,_ if you remember, we have a time limit-”

“Shut your babbling mouths, before I do it for you by ripping your vocal cords out!” Five roared, effectively silencing them. “We need to discuss our faults for this next round. We ran out of time in the maze, probably because of Luther being slow in the water. I know you demanded to go in, but you were sluggish, I suggest we try you going with the ones on top. Ben and Diego were very efficient, so they shall stay in their places. I’ll switch out as well to see if we can go quicker that way. That means Klaus and Allison will dive in the water with Diego. While I wish we could pair up with who we want, we don’t have time for that. Continue to pair with the closest person and pray you don’t get a partner you can’t communicate with.”

They all nodded and stood in starting positions. Vanya came around to lock their weights again, Ben noting what animals everyone received. She steered away when she was finished. The booming noise of a gunshot was heard and they dove into the water.

**Round 2**

Rapidly heading to the end, Diego was, yet again, the first one there and he went straight down. Allison was right behind him, Klaus lagging far behind. Ben and Five reached the end at the same time, hauling themselves up onto the edge. Luther rose after them, all of them letting their feet dangle in the water as they waited for the other group. Underneath, Diego managed to grab a key. He felt around for his partners, waiting to hand them off. Allison, being right near him, managed to find one key, before going towards the movements of Diego. She took his key, swimming to the surface. As she broke through, she was quick to recognize that Klaus was still at the surface, yelping.

“Holy shit, this water’s cold! How did the others manage to dive into this?! I literally can’t breathe under there!”

“Klaus?! What are you doing?! Go help Diego!” She yelled at him.

“No way! It’s too freezing!” 

“You’ve got to be joking! Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I thought I could handle it...turns out I can’t…”

“Seriously?! Well, then get over here and help me!”

She waited for a while before Klaus was swimming right next to her. They went off to the others, together, calling out for them. The ones on the surface immediately crawled over, colliding into Klaus as he hopped up.

“Klaus? What are you doing? Give us the keys and head back to Diego!” chastised Five who bumped into him.

“He can’t go under the surface, it’s too cold for him,” Allison replied.

“What? Why didn’t he say anything earlier?!” Luther shouted.

“Like I told Ally, I thought I could handle it! I didn’t know it was below zero!” Klaus tried to defend himself.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, you've already _gone_ through it-We don’t have time for this right now. Allison, do you have any keys on you?” Ben sighed.

“Yeah, I have two,” she responded.

"Great, at least we have some progress now." 

"I can go help them," Luther suggested.

"No, I don't think that's such a good idea...Five’ll go help them," said Ben.

"Wow, _fine._ Allison, give them the keys first, then I'll go with you," replied Five.

Allison handed them to the person near her and took a breath, swimming down to go help Diego. The others heard a splash and knew she was gone. Five acted at that, standing up and jumping below. Another splash. The ones above gathered around and tried to determine the pairings.

"I have the keys, they're a ram and pig. Did anyone see the symbols before we were blindfolded?" Klaus asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

"I assumed that the others would, so I didn't bother," Luther growled back.

Ben could feel Klaus' flinch at that. He went over to pat his shoulder but accidentally hit his face instead. Klaus let out a squawk of disbelief.

"What the hell, Ben? What was that slap for?!"

"Maybe it's because your incompetence cost us an intelligent member!" Luther snapped.

Klaus didn't respond. Ben felt fury surge through him.

"Fuck off, Luther! You can't say shit about him when you don't know what he's capable of."

"He isn't capable of anything! He's too busy using his energy for stupid shit! Why are you defending him? You're the one who just slapped him!"

"It was an _accident._ I meant to pat him on the shoulder!" Ben looked where he thought Klaus was. "I'm sorry about that K, I only wanted to comfort you."

"It's okay, B." Klaus whispered.

"So, _now_ you're apologizing? How convenient." Luther shot at Ben.

"I would've done it earlier if you didn't speak for me!" Ben shot back.

"Well, you blend into the background so nicely, I guessed you wouldn't reply at all. Five's always speaking for you."

"That's because he knows me well enough to accurately tell what I _want_ to say! Not what he _thinks_ I want to say!"

"Guys…" Klaus tried to intervene.

"Shut up, Klaus! You have no right to speak after your attention-seeking stunt."

"His _what?_ Don't talk to him like that!"

"And who's going to stop me? Quiet, little Number Six who can't even control his _own_ powers?"

There was a pause. Klaus went rigid, knowing that was a _major_ sore spot for Ben. Luther immediately knew he went too far and tried to retract his words.

"I-I didn't mean that Ben, I'm-" 

Ben didn't hear him. He cried out, lunging for Luther's voice, therefore Luther. 

"You fucking _asshole!"_

That was the only warning Luther got as he was suddenly flung backward, ungracefully flopping into the water. Ben went after him, punching him in the face before pushing him underneath the surface. Klaus couldn't tell what was going on, only hearing the splashes of water. He jumped in and grabbed someone, assuming it was Ben because of their physique. He pulled him away and heard the others come back up. They made noises of confusion before going to Luther who asked for assistance. Gathering everyone in a circle on the platform, Klaus kept hold of Ben, who everyone could hear was struggling against him, shouting insults at Luther.

"What the _hell_ happened while we were underwater? We don't have time for this!" Five demanded.

"Ask _Luther."_ Klaus hissed, trying to hold Ben down.

"Well, Luther? Make this quick, I would like to eat tonight." Five requested, lifting his eyebrow. 

"Uhhh, well...I may have mentioned something along the lines of Ben being in the background and...notbeingabletocontrolhispowers."

"...come again?"

"And...how he can't control his powers…"

The group went silent, Ben slumping into Klaus' arms. They all knew how much that hurt Ben. He used all his energy to try to gain control, straining himself multiple times. Even then, he always kept a smile on his face, encouragement ready to fall from his lip for everyone but himself. 

"You said _what?!"_ Five growled out causing everyone to pale as they knew how protective he was over Ben. He pounced on Luther, punching him and keeping a grip on his uniform. "Why the fuck are you spouting shit you don't know _anything_ about?! I swear, Luther if we weren't in practice, I would ensure you wouldn't be able to _speak_ another word to anyone. You're nothing but a stupid moron who thinks his number automatically puts him on top. Well, it _doesn't-"_

"That's enough Five." Ben cut in, moving to grasp the keys from Klaus. "We don't have time for this. I saw the symbols; Luther has the rabbit. Diego the dragon, I got the snake, Five the ram, Allison the horse, and Klaus the pig."

"B-ben…" Klaus started.

"Hurry and pass the keys around, so we can continue onwards." Five interrupted, releasing Luther and ignoring his siblings' confusion. 

They had no choice but to comply, passing around the keys to their rightful owner. Finally, everyone was released and they combined hands with the person near them, getting up and sprinting towards the second course.

“K-Klaus and Ben!” Klaus shouted voice ahead of everyone else’s.

“Luther and Allison!” Luther bellowed, a bit behind them.

“Five and Diego!” Five yelled back, sounding right next to the previous two.

Rushing ahead of the other pairs, Ben and Klaus paused at the start of obstacle two. No one took a step forward, both unsure who would be a better fit to lead. After a couple of moments, where they heard footsteps go ahead of them, Ben took a step onto a moving platform, dragging Klaus behind him.

“Try to sense the movement of the platforms. You can feel vibrations when one comes near,” Ben informed Klaus, nudging him ahead. “Go on and lead. We both know that whoever you team up with next will have you do it, so try and learn now.”

“Y-yeah, okay.”

Klaus tightened his grip on their hands, feeling Ben send back a reassuring squeeze. He waited for the ground to vibrate, leaping forward when he felt it. They landed, safely, onto another platform and Klaus let out a sigh of relief, taking the lead from there. Ben obediently followed behind him, walking alert in case Klaus fell and praying that he didn't. He never did.

Luther and Allison were right in front of them. They worked swiftly, always being an impeccable duo. Passing through the obstacle was almost too effortless for them.

"You know you're an idiot right?" Allison mentioned as they made their way through.

"Yes, I know," Luther replied.

"No, I don't think you do."

"What do you mean-"

"You're always too busy listening to Dad or hanging out with me to understand. What you don't see is that Ben has worked his ass off for you two. He always complies with what you both say and diligently does what's required of him. For him to not be able to control a part of himself? That's a huge burden on his heart. Yet, he continues to beam at everything in life, always rushing to help us when we need it. Apologize when you mean it."

She didn't say anything else and Luther fell silent, looking like a kicked puppy.

Five and Diego ran as quickly as they could with their combined hands. It felt a bit awkward for both of them as they've never been close. Not to mention the fact that Five was trying to blow off steam. He was recklessly running ahead, Diego trying to reason with him. Eventually, Five knew he needed a break, so he released their joint hands and let himself fall. Diego panicked and reached to catch him, but his footing slipped. This resulted in them both collapsing onto the spikes. They were breathing deeply, the fall having brought Five back to his senses. They ripped off their blindfolds, Five meeting eyes with Diego.

"I let go so I could fall by myself, allowing you the chance to continue onwards. You weren't supposed to try and catch me, idiot."

"Luther's the idiot. Besides, I'm your partner for this round, if you go down, we both go down. That's the point of holding hands."

"It's really not." 

"Whatever you say, bro."

"Is that so?"

"Mhmm."

“Dimwit.”

Five's lips curled into a soft smile, contradicting his words. Diego grinned right back. They both stared upwards and rested, waiting for the next round.

"Numbers Two and Five have fallen, they have, therefore, failed."

Luther and Allison just touched the other side when they heard that. They tightened their hold before shouting out for the other two. When they called back, Allison and Luther realized they were a bit far behind. They couldn't wait for them, though, and reluctantly separated, dashing towards the mallets. 

Luther got there first, dodging the mallets with ease, barely escaping being hit by the fourth one. Allison was a bit behind him, being stuck on the third one. Behind her, she can hear Ben and Klaus yelling at one another.

When Ben and Klaus made it past the second course, Ben ran forward, trying to release his hand at the same time. However, Klaus refused to budge, leading to them awkwardly fighting whilst jogging. 

"Klaus, let _go!"_

"No, it would be better for us to go together!"

"That's not the plan! If one of us gets hit, we both fail!"

They were too busy arguing that they didn't feel the first mallet swinging their way.

"We'll be _fine!"_

Just as Klaus said that he was struck by the mallet. He was sent flying and brought Ben with him due to his hold on him. They both hit the safety mats with an "umpf." Slowly, sitting up and tugging down their blindfolds, Ben punched Klaus in the arm.

 _"Ow,_ what's up with you injuring me lately?!"

"'We'll be _fine,'_ huh?" 

"Okay, in my defense, you were distracting me."

"Of course I was." 

Ben collapsed onto the mat and tried to catch his breath, letting out soft puffs of laughter. Klaus watched him. They made eye contact and Ben asked a question that's been on his mind.

"Why couldn't you dive underwater?"

"I told you, it was too cold."

"I heard you, but I know you well enough to tell that wasn't the full answer."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Klaus."

"...the temperature of it reminded me of my training. I couldn't get rid of that feeling. That's why, when I went under, I couldn't breathe."

"I see."

"What about you, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay, always am."

"Ben."

"I will be okay...eventually."

"I see."

Luther felt Allison just finish. He called out his name and heard her respond right by him. But, they never heard from the other two. They grew confused until Vanya spoke up

"Numbers Four and Six have been hit and have failed."

Luther immediately pulled Allison into the maze. They ran through one of the entrances and continued for a while. Then, they both ran straight into a wall. They couldn't sense an opening near them. There were no other paths to take.

"Really? A fake entrance?" Allison sighed.

"Are you actually surprised?" Luther said in return.

"...no, no I'm not."

"The time has run out. Those of you still alive, take off your blindfolds and get ready to begin again.”

They felt gloomy as they went back, heading towards the beginning. They didn't even get to fully enter the maze. As they appeared at the start, they saw the others lying around, no one speaking. Luther felt guilty when he saw Ben and Klaus, knowing he truly hurt their feelings. He walked up to them and before they could speak, or walk away, he opened his mouth. 

"I-I really am sorry about what I said to you both earlier. I was way out of line and can only blame myself. I didn't mean the words, I was just frustrated at everything and took it out on you two. You didn't deserve that and..." Luther looked shy all of a sudden as he glanced away. "Ben was right, I don't know you, Klaus. I don't know any of you...but I'd love to get to if you'll allow me." He gave a warm smile.

Ben and Klaus stared at him for a while, blinking in sync. Luther grew nervous when they said nothing. Then, they both let out heartwarming grins and jumped to hug him. He fell over with the two on top of him, both ruffling his hair.

"It's alright, you big oaf. It's about time you got to know us _and_ admit you were wrong." Ben laughed.

"We won't take it to heart anymore, but you do owe us now since you hurt us in the first place," Klaus said, excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," agreed Luther.

The others looked on fondly, glad that the family joy was restored, even if it was just for then. One by one, everyone stacked on top of the trio, taking a breather for a minute.

(They all wished Vanya was there as well.)

"Well now that that's settled, we should probably switch out Klaus for Five for this round," Diego stated in their dogpile. "No offense, Klaus."

"None taken."

Everyone shared their words of agreement as they stood up, walking to line up for the start of another round. Vanya came out once again and left when she was done. The world turned dark and the booming noise was heard. They began.

**Round 3**

With the nice break, they all had, each person felt rejuvenated. They quickly reached the end at the same time. Diego, Five, and Allison went into the water, while Klaus, Luther, and Ben climbed onto land. They discussed the animal pairings.

"I didn't get to see all of the pairings this time, only catching that Klaus got the rabbit and Allison the dragon," Ben announced.

"I think I saw Five get the snake." Klaus put in.

"All I know for sure is that Ben got the horse."

"That leaves you and Diego then." Ben started. "What animals are left?"

"It should be the ram and pig." It was Klaus that answered him. "I may have caught a glimpse of horns on yours, Luther, but I'm not a hundred percent sure."

"We'll go with it then," Luther said.

"But I could be wrong-"

"I trust you. Besides, it's only two keys, we can take the time for it."

They fell silent as they waited for the other group. It wasn't that long a wait as, below them, Diego had managed to grab three keys automatically. He went towards a disturbance in the water, finding an arm and sliding down to their hand to give them the keys. As he went to look around, he felt the person grab his arm and tug him upwards. He got the hint and rose to the top. As he broke through, he heard two other people come up. He assumed that they found all the keys. They swam towards land and went on.

"That was fast." Ben greeted them with.

"I'll say! We should've started with them from the beginning! Luther truly was a hindrance." That was Klaus.

"Wha-Hey! I'll have you know that _you_ weren't any better! At least, _I_ went underwater." Luther retaliated. 

Their group all giggled, comprehending that they were just teasing each other. As they tossed around quips, they started to unlock their confines.

"Luther being a burden isn't that surprising, he is rather stupid." Diego.

"What the hell? I'll have you know I hold all sorts of knowledge." Luther.

"In order to do that, you would have to have a brain." Five.

"It must be awful to not have a brain, Luther. I don't know how you do it." Klaus.

"He's all brawns, that's how." Ben.

"I'm more than just muscle! Right, Allison?" Luther.

"You shouldn't ask questions you don't want to hear the answer to." Allison.

"You too?!"

"We only tell facts, she can't disagree." 

"She can if they're not _true!"_

"How sad, it's in denial."

"It?! I'm not an object!"

"Could've fooled me."

"I hate you all."

"We know." They responded at the same time.

At that moment, everyone had been released. Knowing the routine, they split into pairs, gripping hands as they hurried to the next course.

"Ben and Allison!" Allison shouted in the lead.

"Five and Klaus!" Five shot back behind them.

"Diego and Luther!" Diego responded bringing up the rear.

Ben and Allison were quite comfortable with one another due to their connection with cosmetics. Allison had no problem being his partner. But, she did have a problem with him trying to lead. It's not that she didn't trust him, she didn't trust herself being strong enough to hold him up if he fell. She pushed him behind her, catching him off guard as he stumbled. He made a noise of confusion at her as she led the way.

"Ally, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be the one to catch you."

"Of course it is! You're most likely stronger than me and I'm a girl."

"Wha-That's _not_ a valid excuse! You know we don't base things off of gender."

"Well, I'm doing it now. Deal with it."

"Ally, s-seriously, I don't think I'll be able to hold you up."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"N-no! I just think-"

"Then there's nothing wrong with me leading."

Ben stayed quiet at that, praying that Allison wouldn't drop. He won't be able to put the pressure on his feet to ground them, but he couldn't tell her the real reason. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side. Allison accidentally stepped on a platform too late, only managing to place one foot on it. She fell and Ben tried to brace for the extra weight he would receive as he pulled her up. Nothing could have prepared him for the extreme agony that shot up his legs. He cried out in pain and felt his knees buckle, becoming weak. They fell off and landed on the spikes. They took off their blindfolds and Allison looked at Ben in worry. He didn't notice, too preoccupied trying to get rid of the stars he saw. Her next words snapped him out of it.

"Ben? Are you okay? Why did you scream?"

"Er, yeah, yeah! I...I just lost my footing and I wasn't expecting the fall! I'm sorry for not catching you."

"It's okay, there's always the next round right?"

"I suppose so."

Silence. Then, Allison spoke again.

"You should've led."

"I _told_ you."

"Numbers Three and Six have fallen and have failed."

Five and Klaus were working surprisingly well together. Klaus was embracing his leadership position, pleased that he was finally able to do so. Five said nothing as he passively followed him. They kept a graceful pace, matching each other's footsteps. The peace was disrupted when Five heard Ben cry out. He jolted to a stop tugging Klaus back with him. Klaus let out a bewildered squawk, squeezing their hands in confusion. Five said nothing, listening for Ben. That's when they heard Vanya's news. Jerking back into action, Klaus yanked Five forward, forcing him to continue. 

Diego and Luther were struggling for the most part. They just couldn't figure out a rhythm to work with. Since both haven't led before, they weren't sure how to safely make it across. They were barely making it onto platforms. Additionally, they weren't communicating well, pulling and pushing one another in different directions. Even as they tried their best, they guessed they wouldn't make it. Their assumptions were proven correct when they both stepped onto separate platforms going opposite directions. As the platforms moved, Diego and Luther were pulled backward. Eventually, they walked off the edge due to their combined hands, dropping down. Taking off their blindfolds, they could only sigh, already having anticipated that result.

“You can’t lead for shit.”

“Says you.” 

“Numbers One and Two have fallen and failed.”

Five and Klaus had just reached the end at that announcement. They grew worried at having most of their team eliminated at the _second_ course. Klaus faltered in his steps, so Five gave him a shove forward before he ran off without him. That set Klaus back into the right mindset as he chased after Five. This time, Klaus followed in Five’s footsteps, making sure to not get hit. They made it past the third course easily and since Five already knew Klaus was behind him, he ran straight into the maze, Klaus at his heels.

They ran straight for a while, before crashing into a wall and stumbling to their left. They stood side by side as they felt two openings going left or right. They wordlessly agreed to go right. From there they continued to wordlessly make their choices. Left. Left. Right. Right. Straight. Right. Left. Straight. Left. Right. Right. Left. Left. Straight. A door-a door? They crashed into it and barely grasped the question that was asked by Vanya.

“What fashion trend did the 1983 film ‘Flashdance’ make popular?”

“Ow, shit.” Five whispered to himself. He made his voice louder as he directed his words at Klaus. “I didn't even know a movie named that existed.”

“That’s okay because I did! Answer: Legwarmers!”

The door beeped and opened up. Five stood speechless at that until Klaus continued. He shouted after him.

“Wait for me, you idiot!”

“Well, hurry up!”

They were able to go through the rest of the maze with ease from their teamwork, only going through three other doors. They finally reached the end as signified by Vanya with one last question for them.

“You’ve reached the finishing door for course four. Answer this question to continue to the last obstacle; What is the symbol for potassium?”

They answered at the same time. 

“K.” 

Five looked towards Klaus’s voice in surprise. Klaus could feel his stare.

“Rude. I do know some things, Five.”

“I’m just a bit surprised that you pay attention in class.”

“Of course I don’t. Ben tried to make a joke out of it, once, and it was so awful that it’s forever stuck in my brain.”

“...he told you that one too?”

“Unfortunately.”

"I feel your pain."

_("Want to hear a potassium joke?"_

_"Um, sure?"_

_"K!"_

_“No.”)_

They snickered at the fact and leaped through the door when it opened. As they kept going, they noticed the terrain start to incline. Feeling a corner coming up, they took a swift turn. Five being in the lead, immediately fell because of a sudden gap after the turn. He yelped in surprise and landed on a safety net. He took off his blindfold and looked up at separated platforms that they would have to jump to. He held the bridge of his nose and let out a huge sigh.

“Number Five has failed.”

Luckily, Klaus stopped immediately at the loss of Five’s presence. He heard his yelp travel downwards and realized Five had fallen. Reaching with his foot, Klaus felt a gap. He hoped it wasn’t big as he jumped forward. He landed on the ground and kept jumping past. He started to travel upwards and was met with another corner. Turning it, carefully this time, he felt another gap. Unsure of what to do, he jumped again. However, this time, he was met with a thump on his head as it whacked something and he fell on a net. Holding his forehead and tugging down his blindfold, he saw many poles sticking out sideways in an arch. He groaned as another announcement was made.

“Number Three has failed. Therefore, all participants have failed. Please head to the beginning for another round.”

Rolling off, Klaus landed on a safety mat with a thump. He stood up and met with Five, both heading back to the first course. There, they found their siblings laughing.

“You should’ve listened to me, Ally.”

“Yes, as you’ve said _before._ I get it, Ben.”

“I’m just reminding you...At least we weren’t as awful as Diego and Luther.”

“Hey!”

“I take offense to that!”

“Good.”

“What’s happening here my fellow numbers?” Klaus came in with, smiling brightly at the amusing bit of conversation they overheard.

“We were just describing our glorious adventures from our partnerships this round,” Allison informed them.

“I wouldn’t say glorious,” Five said with a raised eyebrow and smirk. “You all failed on the _second_ obstacle. How disappointing.”

“Shut up, Five.” The failures snapped at him.

“Forget about Five and his sarcasm. We made it to the tower! _And_ I made it ahead of Five!” Klaus shouted.

They looked at him in surprise before they remembered the announcements. They weren’t paying that much attention before as they were focusing on their conversation. But now, everything clicked in their heads as they turned to Five with smirks gracing their lips. Five’s expression turned sour.

 _“Really, Klaus?”_ They all asked in sync.

Klaus nodded his head happily. The group all started to snicker at Five.

“Well, well, well. Would you look at _that?”_ Allison.

“It seems like Five _isn’t_ as good as he makes himself out to be.” Diego.

“He couldn’t even make it to the end and he was _right_ there.” Luther.

“‘How _disappointing.’”_ Ben.

“Oh, give it a rest, you assholes.” Five hissed at them. “At least _I_ made it that far.”

“We were only joking Five.” Allison.

“Yeah, calm down and tell us what we should expect.” Luther.

“Or would it be better for Klaus to?” Ben.

“Oh, you’re right. After all, he did get ahead of Five.” Diego.

They snickered even more as they turned to Klaus and ignored Five’s murderous aura. Klaus giggled at the comments and spoke up.

“Well, first you go uphill and around a corner. There, gaps are between platforms that incline. So, really just steps that lead to the next corner. After that are bars that are sticking out, so basically monkey bars. I fell at that, so I don’t know what comes after. It would be best for everyone to turn each corner carefully, so you don’t immediately fall off as Five did on the first one.”

Everyone was listening attentively until that last comment. They snapped their heads towards Five and he could only watch as their smirks grew more and more. He felt a blush travel up his neck. Before they could say anything, he continued to discuss the next round. They hid their laughs at that.

“Now you know what to expect for this round if you reach the tower. Since, we were able to make it that far without the time running out, the teams for the first course are working on saving us time. We’ll stick with that from now on.”

Everyone nodded their heads and went to stand on the start line. The whole process with Vanya was done quickly. With the world black again and the noise booming out, they started another round.

**Round 4**

Getting used to the same beginning, both groups were able to head to the end quickly. Diego, Five, and Allison were able to immediately find all the keys and they swam back to the top. Up there, Ben, Klaus, and Luther determined the pairings easily. When everyone had gathered together again, they went to work releasing each other. As the last of the weights fell, they paired up and dashed onwards.

“Ben and Diego!”

“Allison and Klaus!”

“Luther and Five!”

While Ben and Diego didn’t work together that often, they were able to communicate well. Ben took the lead, much to Diego’s relief, and was able to steer them in the right direction. All throughout, they made quick turns and were able to match each other’s pace. They had no problems as they rushed through.

Similar to the previous pair, Allison and Klaus were able to work well together. Learning from her mistake, Allison let Klaus lead. He took to it smoothly, surprising Allison. He was able to quickly guide their way through, only falling once when he bumped into Diego. Allison was able to pull him up, however, and they continued with no other hesitations.

Then, there was Five and Luther. While Five knew how to lead, he made it difficult for Luther by pretending to fall and taking the wrong paths. They kept to a slow pace and Five could tell Luther was growing frustrated. Five considered it payback for what he said to Ben. He wasn’t fully content though, so he stopped at an edge and forced Luther next to him.

“Five? What are you doing?”

“Nothing...hey, you remember what you said to Ben?”

“Uh, yes? W-why?”

“Just wanted to know if you learned your lesson.”

“I have! Ben accepted my apology as well!”

“Yes, I know...but I still can’t help but feel unsatisfied.”

“You know I didn’t mean it.”

“No, I don't.”

“Well, I didn’t!”

“Either way, I still want some form of revenge, even if it’s small.”

“...don’t do this.”

“You know I have to.”

With that, Five released Luthers’ hand and roundhouse kicked him off the platform. Luther reacted too slow, so he fell off, limbs flailing uselessly through the air. Five heard the resounding smack as Luther hit the floor. He felt his lips curl up as he started to laugh wildly. Now feeling pleased, he let himself fall forward, not wanting to deal with the other’s anger at having left his partner behind. He landed on Luther who let out an “oof” at the impact. While it hurt Five as well, it left a deeper sense of contentment. He continued to laugh as Luther pushed him off. They tore off their blindfolds. Luther looked his way with a glare and Five stared back with a satisfied smile. Luther exhaled as his features softened.

“I guess I deserve that.”

“You do.”

"Feel better now?"

"Perhaps."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"..."

"..."

“...I apologize for what I said to you earlier.”

“Woah! Never thought I’d hear the day where you would apologize to me.”

“I’m sure I said it before, idiot. If I didn’t then don’t get used to it. You annoy me, so I’ll say a lot more things to you.”

“I don’t expect anything else...Thanks, Five.”

“Sure.”

“Numbers One and Five have failed as they have fallen.”

Both partners finished at the same time when they heard the news. They were not fully surprised, however, so they figured out their locations and continued. Being used to the third course, they were able to swerve through each mallet and finish fast. Diego finished first and he called out, waiting for responses. Each person called back and he quickly determined Klaus was the closest to him. When Diego felt Klaus stop next to him, he pulled him to the maze. Klaus staggered a bit before stabilizing himself and running with Diego.

Finishing as they entered was Ben, who yelled out and heard Allison behind him. He figured the other two were already in the maze as Allison paused near him. He grabbed her and pulled her into the maze. Allison quickly ran by his side as they entered.

Diego and Klaus were able to quickly make their way through the maze, passing through many turns and dead ends. They were able to hear the other pair at one point before they faded away. In all, they went through five doors before reaching the last one.

“You’ve reached the finishing door for course four. Answer this question to continue to the last obstacle; Which country is Aesop’s Fables believed to originate in?"

"What?" They said at once.

"I'm not smart, I don't know this!" Klaus shouted.

"Who even is that guy?" Diego asked.

"I think I heard Ben mention him once?"

"Did he say anything about him?"

"How am I supposed to remember? I usually start to tune him out, so he talks to Five about it!"

"Great, they both would have come in handy right now!"

"Don't you think I know that?!"

They paced around for a bit, trying to figure something out.

"Okay, well we can just try and guess some countries?" Diego suggested.

"It's our best bet. It sounds foreign so we could go off of that. I'll start. Uh, Russia?"

Nothing happened. Diego tried next.

"Germany?"

"France."

"Italy."

"Austria."

"Belgium."

"Greece."

At that, the door beeped and opened. They were relieved at that. They fully believed they would run out of time with this question. They raced along, noting the incline. Turning a corner, they slowed to a stop. Going first was Klaus, who was used to this part. Diego went after him. Jumping across each step, they made it to the other corner. Klaus reached above him and leaned forward, eventually reaching and grabbing the first bar. He swung himself forward to the next one. After a few more, he made it to the other side. He went around another corner and slammed straight into a wall. He quickly figured out it was a ladder. He stepped away but was pushed back into the ladder when Diego smacked into him.

"Ow! Give me some room!"

"Sorry, I thought you went ahead already."

"No, I crashed into a ladder."

"A ladder?"

Klaus made no move to respond as he stepped on the first rung of the ladder. He made his way up with Diego at his heels. Getting to the top, he slowly walked forward and kicked an object. He stepped on it and went over, tripping as it ended. He expected to fall on the net but was surprised when he landed on the original platform again. He realized they were just some hurdles and quickly made his way over them, going around _another_ corner.

"God damn, how many corners are we going to pass?"

"How am I supposed to know? I'm just following you for now."

Once again, Klaus was met with a gap at his feet. He stopped and tried to reach out for something, but was quickly flailing when Diego once again smacked into him. It toppled him over the edge and he let out a scream as he went forward. Diego tried to catch him but was too late. As Klaus fell forward, his hands met an object swaying lightly. He grasped it and felt himself swinging side to side. He was gasping as he determined what he was holding.

"A rope?"

"Klaus? You're still alive?"

"Yes, no thanks to you!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm _sure._ No matter, forget that for a moment. There's a rope here, I'm assuming we're supposed to swing to the other side."

"Can we make it?"

"Guess we'll find out. Move out of my way, please."

Klaus started to move back and forward, gaining momentum as he prepared to let go. Feeling he was gaining enough speed, he swung one last time before he released his grip. He went through the sky before he slammed into a wall and fell. He landed on the safety net and held his side that had made contact with the wall. When he took off his blindfold, he saw the rope and path that would lead to the top of the tower. He knew Diego could finish it and leave them. Whining, he started to make his way back and heard Vanya state his downfall.

"Number Four has failed."

Diego was waiting for Klaus as that was said. He made the move to continue onwards as he knew the rope was now vacant. He grabbed it when he felt it come back his way. Holding it tightly, he took a running leap and swung over releasing when he felt it was enough to give him momentum to soar. He flew through the sky and made contact with the other side. He rolled out and landed on his knees, successfully passing it. He took deep breaths and leaned against the wall. Something sticking out of it poked him in the shoulder. Flinching back, he felt around and concluded it was a rock climbing wall. He heaved himself up and went over the edge, understanding he had finished. He walked forward before he bumped into an object. He knew it was a podium with the bell on it. All he had to do was ring it and he would be done since the time hadn't run out yet. He lifted his hand and moved it forward.

At the same time, Ben and Allison were trying to make their way through the maze. They kept heading into dead ends however and were growing confused. Turn after turn they were left at complete ends. They had only gone through two doors and after that, they were stumped. They ended up staying lost in the maze until the end of the round.

"The time has run out, those participants still alive need to head to the beginning for another round."

Taking off their blindfolds with a sigh, Ben and Allion watched as a wall rumbled and opened. They stepped through and made their way back to the beginning. Standing there, in silence, were Five and Luther. They stood by them and waited for the other two. Eventually, they saw Klaus making his way to them, shoulders in a slump. He was mumbling to himself before he addressed them.

"Looks like dear old Number Two finished this round."

"What do you mean? He's not with you?" Luther asked.

"Of course not, does it look like he is? I fell on the last obstacle for the tower. I saw that he just needed to climb something and he would reach the top and finish." Klaus.

"We don't know that he finished." Ben.

"He could've, it would be a great opportunity for him." Allison.

"I did say it was a choice whether or not to finish without everyone else." Five 

"Would he do that?" Luther.

"I didn't think so, but now I'm not exactly sure. He isn't here, so…" Klaus.

"Well, we still don't know he finished without us." Ben

"Vanya never announced his failure." Five.

"Vanya also never announced my success." 

Everyone whipped their heads around at the new voice. They were met with the sight of Diego walking towards them. He grinned as he looked over all of them.

"Come on, y'all didn't actually think I would leave everyone behind."

He walked closer and was immediately tackled by Klaus. Everyone piled on shortly after. They were talking over one another. It took a while, but Diego finally pieced together their point. He chuckled at them, talking loud enough to gather their attention.

"I'm essential to this team, especially for the first course. I wouldn't leave, we finish this together! Team Zero, baby!"

Everyone's smile fell as they stared at him blankly.

"What did you just say?" 

"Team _what?"_

"Is that a team name?"

"I hope not, it's the most horrendous thing I have ever heard."

"Are you okay, Diego?"

"Hey, of course, I'm okay! I came up with the name while I was sitting and waiting for the round to be over. It's amazing and we're stuck with it forever now."

They stared at him for a second more before helping each other stand up, leaving him behind. They started to talk to one another about him, like he wasn't there, moving farther away.

"Klaus, are you sure he didn't hit his head too hard?" Five.

"I was just thinking that, but I'm not sure. He seemed fine when I was with him." Klaus.

"Maybe we've all grown delusional and he isn't really here." Luther.

"I think he's the one that's become delusional." Allison.

"Should we take him to a doctor after this?" Ben.

"Wha-guys I'm right _here!_ I thought you would all like the team name!" Diego cried.

At once, they turned back to face him and spoke the same words.

"You thought wrong."

"Well, too bad, it's our new name now." Diego demanded. They all sighed as a sign of compliance. Diego grinned as he carried on, walking with them to the start. "Now that that's _unanimously_ decided, I should probably inform you on what to expect for the tower. Adding on to what Klaus said before this round, you will be met with a ladder after the monkey bars. Climbing it, you will find a walkway with hurdles. After that is a rope that you will have to use to swing to the other side. Once you have landed, there will be a rock wall on your side that you will have to climb. As soon as you do, walk forward and you'll be met with a podium. The bell sits on top of it."

He gathered everyone in a circle before they could line up. He raised his arm and looked expectantly at everyone. They hesitantly lifted their arms and put their hands on one another's. They waited for him to speak.

"We'll definitely finish this round! We've got all the courses down and work well together! Team Zero on three!"

Glancing at each other, everyone couldn't help the smile that graced their lips. Eyes became determined as Diego counted down.

"Three...Two...One…"

"Team Zero!" All of them roared as they raised their hands in the air.

Feeling a new burst of energy, everyone lined up in their numbered order. Vanya came out once more and repeated her same process. Team Zero shared one last glance before they put on their blindfolds and waited for the round to start. The signal tore through the room and they dove into the water together. 

**Round 5**

With their newfound energy, everyone made it to the end faster than usual. They immediately split up. The ones on top determined the pairings and the ones below found all the keys. Everyone gathered and released their constraints before pairing off and moving on.

"Luther and Allison!"

"Diego and Klaus!"

"Five and Ben!"

Every voice was right next to the other.

Luther and Allison worked as a stunning duo. Allison led the way and they moved as if they were dancing. Twisting and turning at the other's slightest move. They finished very quickly.

Diego and Klaus paired perfectly together. Klaus led the way, completely used to the motions of the platforms. They flowed together all through the course, each step taken with care as Klaus pulled Diego along. Finishing was quick.

Five and Ben were an amazing couple as they coordinated perfectly. Ben led the way, trusting Five to catch him. Being flawless, they walked with each other in balance. It was simple for them to sense the others' motions. It was a quick finish. 

All the couples called out as they finished at the same time. They were shocked for a second before they continued onwards.

Separating from another, each person made their way past the mallets.

Luther made quick work of the course, speeding ahead.

Diego was able to swiftly move forward, not stopping for long at any of them.

Allison only paused at the third mallet for a quick beat before she passed and raced forwards.

Klaus took more pauses than everyone, having some doubt in himself before he was able to pass.

Five barely faltered, already being used to the speeds for each mallet.

Ben was able to make quick work of each mallet, swerving and being able to pass each one.

Diego reached the end first and called out. Luther called back right behind him and Allison a bit farther than that. He waited for them as he knew they would group together for this course. The others were farther away. As soon as they reached his side, they ran into the maze together, with Allison leading the way.

Finishing up was Five, who signaled to the others he was done. Ben and Klaus sounded back around the same area. Since the others didn't respond and Vanya made no announcements, he concluded that they had already entered the maze. It took a few seconds before Ben and Klaus were at his side. As soon as that happened, they raced to the entrance and entered, Ben leading the way. 

Each group went past many turns and hit many walls. At one moment they heard each other before Ben and them got stopped by a door. After a bit, they met up by crashing into each other, literally.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" Everyone yelled.

It took a second before they realized everyone was on the same path. After that, they worked together to find the way. That was until they had to split ways again, spreading back into their original groups and wishing each other luck. More turns until they reached the final door.

Luther, Diego, and Allison reached the end first. Vanya's voice filtered out to them.

"You’ve reached the finishing door for course four. Answer this question to continue to the last obstacle; Which countries participated in the Lobster War?"

"I'm sorry...the _what_ war?" Diego.

"Did we even learn this?" Luther.

"Not that I can remember." Allison.

"How are we supposed to answer a question we don't know?!"

"We could always guess?"

"But she asked _countries._ As in more than one. It could be anywhere from two to five!"

They started to argue as Klaus, Five, and Ben reached their end door. They ignored them as they tried to hear Vanya's words.

"You’ve reached the finishing door for course four. Answer this question to continue to the last obstacle; What city is known as the Rose Capital of the World?"

Ben and Five spoke at the same time.

"Oh, that's easy, it's-" 

"Wait!" Klaus interrupted before they could answer. They turned to him confused. "I know we should only care about our group, but we should try and help the others while we're here. We should have time and we'll have to restart anyway if they don't pass."

Ben and Five telepathically came to an agreement. They faced the wall the others could be heard from and yelled for them to shut up. The other group went quiet.

"We're going to try and help you while we're here! Ben and Five already know the answer to our question, so don't worry about that and tell us yours!" Klaus shouted.

"We were asked what countries participated in the Lobster War!" Allison replied.

"The _what_ war?!" Klaus.

"That's what I said!" Diego.

"Does anyone know if we even learned this?!" Luther.

"No, we didn't!" Five.

"But that's only because it was an extra reading lesson we were supposed to do on our own!" Ben.

"Are you serious?!" Diego.

"Ben, did you read it?!" Allison.

"Wha-hey! Just because I read a lot doesn't mean I did that extra work!" Ben.

"Well, did you?!" Luther.

"...of _course_ I did! I'm just saying!" Ben.

"Nerd!" Klaus.

"Shut up!" Ben.

"Ben and I read it together!" Five.

"Of _course_ you did!" Diego.

"Now's not the time, just give us the answer!" Allison.

"France and Brazil!" Ben and Five.

At those words, everyone could hear a door open. That group quickly rushed out and towards the tower. Five and Ben hurried to answer their question.

“Tyler, Texas!" They shouted in sync.

Their door also opened and they poured out, dashing along the path. Diego was in the lead, hoping across the steps, gliding through the bars, ascending the ladder, going over the hurdles, swinging to the other side with the rope, and climbing the rock wall to the top with ease. Everyone else fell behind him, some faltering more than others, but everyone passing through each obstacle. When Klaus had finally lifted himself to stand on the edge, everyone was around the bell. He completed the circle. They stood for a second, unsure who should ring first when they wordlessly went in their numbered order. That meant that Luther rang the bell first, followed by Diego, Allison, Klaus, Five, and finally Ben. They anxiously waited with bated breath. 

"Numbers One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six have all succeeded the obstacle course in the limited time. All participants may now take off their blindfolds."

They ripped off their blindfolds with cheers, shouting at one another in congratulations. Everyone was beaming at having finally finished. Even better, they had finished as a _group._ It went on for a while before they heard footsteps heading their way. They quieted down and lined up as they faced their father. He looked at all of them before nodding.

"Well done, Umbrella Academy. You have all succeeded in the time limit. Additionally, dinner has not started, so you will all get to eat. I expect this positive outcome each time we train." With that, he left.

What he didn't notice (or didn't care about) was the fact that they all flinched at his assigned team name. They glanced at one another and kept stiff until he left. Then, they noticed Vanya standing where their father left her. She congratulated them and they beamed at her. Everyone rushed to her, creating one big group hug, with her in the center. All of them laughed and giggled, glad to be done with the terrible training. They were also delighted to have Vanya with them. 

"I'm proud of you all." Vanya.

"Thanks! I can't believe we finally finished!" Klaus.

"That was challenging." Five.

"I can't wait to eat! I'm starved." Luther.

"I can't wait to collapse on my bed! I'm so exhausted." Ben.

(Nobody noticed Five glance at Ben in worry at that, both having completely forgotten about the wounds due to the rush of today's training. Five could now see Ben slightly shaking. He made a mental note to check on him later.)

"I know the feeling! That felt like it took _forever."_ Allison.

"We did it as a team, that's how we finished quickly!" Diego.

Vanya's giggling stopped. They knew she was miserable at not being part of the team. They quickly reassured her she was.

"Don't worry, Vanya! You may not be a part of the Umbrella Academy, but you're part of Team Zero!" Klaus.

"Team Zero?" Vanya.

"Yeah, it's a stupid team name Diego came up with but we’re sticking with it." Ben.

"It's not _stupid!_ It's very clever if I do say so myself."

"You coming up with it already says how awful it is." Five.

"Why you-" Diego.

"I don't have powers...I can't be a part of any team." Vanya.

They all paused at her words. It took a beat of silence before they reassured her louder than before.

"What?! You don't need powers, Vanya! You're still part of our team!" Allison.

"All that matters is that you're family! And as a family, we stick as a team!" Luther.

Everyone shouted over one another. They eventually couldn't talk as everyone started hysterically chuckling. They collapsed to the ground from laughter and exhaustion. Following the noise was a restful peace. They rolled out and laid with their heads forming a circle. They grasped each other's hands and lifted them towards the air. Letting out one last huff of laughter, everyone smiled wide.

_"Team Zero!"_

  
  


("...everyone does know that Team Zero is going to fall out by, like, tomorrow, right?"

"What? How?"

"Presentations are tomorrow, you idiot."

"Oh yeah, that's right…"

"I already apologize for what I might do tomorrow."

"Same but we can't really help it so..."

"Let's hope it doesn't turn out too bad.")  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you did end up reading these chaotic scenes, then I hope it allows for some insight into good old family life. It really was just some fun (well, not really for them) to get my brain cells even more hyped for the next chapter!
> 
> If anyone was curious on how I envisioned the obstacle course:
> 
> Entire Thing  
> https://www.deviantart.com/xenyonzin/art/Untitled5-868415244
> 
> Maze  
> https://www.deviantart.com/xenyonzin/art/Untitled3-20210126165649-868415245  
> 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! ~ XYZ


	5. The Joys of a Joint Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a quick note: I changed the style of writing to where the specific P.O.V.'s will have the character refer to themselves in pronouns, such as "he/she." This is for something I have planned for the story in a couple of chapters. I also went back and put the first few chapters this way. Nothing really changed for those besides the switch from names to pronouns, so you don't need to go back and look at them. I hope it doesn't get too confusing keeping up with the characters and what they do. Just remember that when it says "he" it's usually going to refer to the person whose P.O.V. it is unless it's put in a way that says otherwise if that makes sense. I'm sorry if it doesn't. T ^ T
> 
> (Is it just me or does anyone else notice that the family always get some nice, fun moments with one another before everything goes downhill?) 
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V. 
> 
> \-- Neutral P.O.V.

~

The daylight rays awoke him from his mind’s dark abyss. He felt quite warm. That went away as he grew more conscious. His stomach became unsettled, insides squirming. It left him restless, so he tried to distract himself. Throwing an arm over his middle, he reached out to cuddle into Five but was met with rumpled blankets. He sat upright and looked around his room, barely noticing that he was alone in his bed. He realized Five had teleported back to his room to get some sleep. 

_It’s not like Five wanted to,_ he reassured himself, covering his eyes (and the misery that crept into them) with his other arm, slowly laying back down. _You should know_ _that Five only leaves to keep you out of trouble._

That didn’t mean it hurt any less.

_Happy Birthday to me._

*

He awoke with a growl, being forced up due to a light shining on his face. 

_What the actual shit? What is that? Oh. Stupid sun, streaming through and waking me up. How even…? Well, shit._

Seems like he forgot to close his curtains before he went to bed last night. Perfect, he was already starting his birthday with a rude awakening. And, what’s even _better,_ he gets to go down and see his idiotic (Ben not included) siblings make a fool of themselves. He really didn’t want to face anyone at the moment but knew he had no choice. Mom would make breakfast for them soon. 

(At least, they could wear casual clothes since Reginald was not here. Not that he was going to wear anything other than his uniform.)

He could feel his rage swell as he stood up to start his day.

_Happy fucking Birthday to me._

~

 _Weird,_ he pondered as he stepped out of his room, feet wrapped with fresh bandages and practically healed. _Usually, it’s said that alphas who are about to present, experience an increase of rage._

He didn’t feel a change in his emotions. 

He couldn’t suppress the chill that went down his spine as a result. Before he could fall into a state of panic, he quickly reassured himself that he didn’t necessarily have to be an alpha. He did want to become an omega after all. Besides, it’s not like omegas have certain traits that start to show as alphas do. Well, not ones that he can remember anyway.

_Wait, no, that’s not right. That book I read once on secondary gender biology (stereotypical shit, really) said omegas become more sensitive and cry (so even more stereotypical shit, what the fuck)._

This time, he couldn’t stop the complete anxiety that washed over him as soon as he realized this. He pathetically tried to calm himself down, which led to nothing but more panic in his mind. He was supposed to experience one of those two emotions: rage or sadness. And yet, all he had going through him was terror, which was not a symptom. 

He didn’t feel _any_ change in his emotions.

Maybe we’re a late bloomer. 

_Holy shit._ The voice came back, scaring the crap out of him as he jumped so high he almost hit the ceiling. _Who are you?!_

You.It answered back before going silent.

_What the fuck?_

He was so lost in his mind that he didn't hear the creak of a door opening or notice he bumped into someone until said person started sobbing. 

His head immediately flung upwards and his eyes met Klaus' watery ones. Now he started panicking for a different reason as he asked Klaus what was wrong. For a couple of seconds, Klaus was unable to respond due to the number of tears that rushed out of his eyes. He started to panic even more.

_What the hell? His eyes are practically waterfalls now. Oh my God, he's going to drown himself in his tears. Can someone do that?! No, stay on track, Ben, and stop being an idiot. Help him!_

"Klaus?" He called softly, finally snapping out of his stupor, "Hey, what's wrong buddy? It's okay, you can talk to me." 

He placed his hand on Klaus' arm, stroking it soothingly. The cries that left Klaus soon turned into whimpers as he stared at him with wide eyes. He felt his heart break at the sight, again trying to get Klaus to speak up.

"What's wrong?"

Klaus sniffed.

"N-nothing. Absolutely _nothing_ is wrong and that's the problem!" Klaus started to become hysterical as he continued, "I woke up today and was so _sad._ For no reason! And now I can't stop crying over petty things! I bumped into you and I just started crying! It doesn’t make sense and it's making me cry even more!" 

True enough, with that outburst, Klaus began to sob again, looking absolutely frustrated with himself. 

_Oh, yeah, Klaus didn’t pay much attention when we were learning about subgenders._

Of course, he knew what was happening with Klaus and quickly tried to comfort him.

"Hey, _hey!_ It's _okay!_ Don't worry, K, it's simply your omega presenting within you. Your hormones become unbalanced and lead to a change in your emotions. Since omegas are supposed to have a more empathetic personality, your mind is changing to accommodate that along with your original personality! It'll only be like this until you gain control in, like, a couple of hours, then you'll be back to being Klaus!" 

He hoped what he was saying worked to calm him. Klaus looked at him blankly, but his sobs stopped. He sighed. He quickly regretted it when Klaus’s breath hitched and tears began to stream down his pink cheeks again.

"No, no! I'm not upset with you! It's okay!"

"O-oh." The tears stopped. "Okay then...what were you saying earlier?"

He held in his sigh this time.

"Everything that's happening to you is because you're _presenting_ , Klaus. It's normal for presenting omegas to randomly cry."

"R-really?"

"Really."

"An o-omega?"

"An omega."

The confirmation left Klaus with a huge beam.

"That's amazing! I can't believe I'm _finally_ going to be an omega! Now people can’t judge me for all the cute outfits I wear...which isn't a lot since we're rarely allowed to...and we don't go out...but take my outfit for today as an example."

"I always did like your sense of fashion. One day, everyone will have the chance to admire it." He smiled, fondly, after examining Klaus’ outfit. 

"T-thank you, Ben. That means a-a lot…." Klaus mirrored him, smiling, tears surfacing once again. "Hahaha changing subjects now before I start _bawling_ from the amount of feelings happening; Are there certain traits presenting alphas show?"

"Yes, in fact, alphas get an increase in rage. So, while, omegas cry, alphas have a higher chance of being pissed off until they also gain back control. Then their rut should hit, just like your heat."

"Heats seem sooo tiring. I don't want to go through that. Ughhhhhhhh-oh! What about scents then?"

"Scents should develop during or after your rut or heat. Typically, alphas have muskier scents while omegas have sweeter ones. B-betas have muted scents."

"Reaally??? I wonder what I'll smell like. Isn’t there also some glowing eye colors or something? I think I vaguely remember that from our lessons.”

“Oh, yeah, eyes usually change color when someone’s subgender starts to reveal itself. Well, it does for alphas and omegas, betas don’t have another eye color.”

“Wow! You're so smart B, what would we do without you? Wait a second. An alpha's rage? Great, that means we get to watch Luther, Diego, and Five fight more than usual...but...wouldn't that leave them distracted for us to steal things?! Oh my God, do you realize how great this is?!"

Klaus smiled wide. The enthusiasm transferred to him. He grinned right back at Klaus, glad that he was no longer miserable. 

_I love it when Klaus smiles. It brightens the whole room, just like the sun._

His thoughts were cut short however as Klaus’s next comment made his blood run cold.

"Hold on a minute. Ben, if that's the case, then why aren't you crying? Or raging? I doubted you were going to end up an alpha, I guessed you were going to be an omega! Your eyes haven’t even changed color!" Klaus giggled, not understanding the weight of his words for Ben.

"I…" He couldn't breathe. He couldn't _breathe._ "I...I…"

"...Ben?" Great, now he's worrying Klaus.

_Get it together, Ben._

"I...I…"

He couldn't pull himself together. Couldn't help the look of utter anguish that started to overcome his features. Klaus must have realized this. He watched as Klaus’ face became terrified, putting the pieces together.

"O-oh. _Oh._ Oh, my- _Ben-"_

Understanding fully, Klaus looked a second away from bawling. And a second later, Klaus did. Again, this broke him from his trance.

_That's not important right now, Klaus is. Everything will be fine. It has to be._

"It's nothing Klaus, don't worry. Maybe I'm a late presenter."

"B-b-but B-ben you _know_ it's very r-rare for people to present lat-"

"It's also rare for people to have powers. We make the impossible happen, Klaus."

"S-still, what if-"

"Now why don't we go steal something? Desserts sound good, hm? How about cookies for later? I know where Luther hides the cookie jar for dad! We can steal it without anyone realizing!"

_Please, please take the bait._

He needed the distraction as much as Klaus did.

Klaus blinked. Then grinned.

*

He contemplated manslaughter as a knife whipped past him and struck the painting that was hung right next to his head. He barely took one step inside the dining room for breakfast. He took into account that there were only three other people inside the room. Mom was making breakfast and the other two, well...

_Nothing like Luther and Diego already trying to display their dominance to begin the day. What happened to Team Zero?_

Logically, he knew that all of their alphas were starting to take control and that's why they were becoming more aggressive. Ruts were soon after all. _But_ , they were usually idiots, so the thought didn't help calm him. Casually leaning against the doorframe, he fought the urge to regret all life decisions. That was quickly forgotten as he, noticing Diego being tossed in his direction, blinked away to safety. Diego crashed into the wall next to where he once stood. Landing a few feet away, he watched as Diego shrugged off the pain with a growl. A challenging growl was returned by Luther. That was the trigger to a complete brawl. 

_Huh, guess they were just arguing with words before then. How dull of them._

Not one to back down, Diego’s eyes completely changed color with a sickening grin to match the fire lighting up in his eyes. Luther’s eyes changed in return, mouth twitching downwards into an intimidating scowl, eyes overcome with a frosty look. At that moment, he knew their alphas had taken full control. He scoffed at the sight, which immediately caught the attention of the others. He couldn’t bother with them, so he moved to sit down until two challenging growls were directed at him. And, _no,_ he couldn't have that, his alpha taking reign over him. His eyes changed and overflowed with bloodlust. Swiftly twisting around to face them, his mouth molded into an unsettling smirk, mocking them. With that, he let out a feral growl. 

\--

Each one stood perfectly still, waiting for the other to strike.

Everything went to hell when the sound of shattering glass was heard. They each lunged towards one another, getting close and reaching out-

Before any damage could be done, a piercing wail was heard throughout the room. All three instantly halted and snapped their heads to the sound. There stood Klaus, tears pouring out of his shining eyes, a broken jar of cookies at his feet. Next to him, trying desperately to console him, was Ben, who was rubbing his shoulder and whispering words of reassurance. 

The three alphas were so blinded by rage that they never noticed Klaus and Ben stepping in through another entryway, trying to stealthily steal cookies from a high shelf. Ben managed to grasp it first and handed it off to Klaus, trying to be careful so as not to drop it. Unfortunately, careful is not in Klaus’ vocabulary as he tripped over his own feet during their escape and let the jar slip through his fingers.

The group stood awkwardly for a beat, unsure what to do, their eyes returning to their normal colors. Then, Diego stepped around them and walked over to comfort Klaus. As he made his way over, he made eye contact with Ben and became stiff. His causal walk turned into careful steps as he stared down the hand that was on Klaus’ shoulder. Ben got the hint and raised his hands peacefully, slowly stepping away from Klaus. 

This was a wrong move as Klaus registered Ben’s warmth leaving him and instantly started to increase the volume of his cries. At that, Ben tried to return to his previous position but was interrupted by Diego’s warning growl.

~

He noticed the look in Diego’s eyes as he stepped away from Klaus. 

_Possession_ . He recognized. _Possessive over...Klaus?_ His eyes widened. _Wait...then that means that Diego- No way!_ His jaw fell.

There was only one reason why Diego’s alpha would become possessive over Klaus. And why he deemed Ben a threat. 

Diego saw Klaus as his _mate._

_Diego and...Klaus? How could I have missed that? No, wait, when did this even happen?!_

(In the back of his mind, he knew he should have seen this coming.)

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to solve this as Klaus started sobbing harder (and louder) than before. The shock fell from his face. Instinctively, he tried to return to Klaus' side to help him but was stopped by a warning growl.

In a heartbeat, Diego was blocking his view of Klaus and glaring at him. He backed a good distance away and noticed Two's eyes turning color. He paled at the realization that Diego’s alpha was taking over. This was getting dangerous for him. Who knew what Diego was willing to do to him.

He stayed frozen in place. The growls kept on emerging from Diego. He's read about how protective alphas were of their omegas. And he knew, right now, Diego only saw him as an enemy. Distantly, he noticed Klaus stop crying, looking on in fright. He knew Klaus was unable to do anything due to his omega keeping him in place in reaction to his alpha's rage. (At least, he accepted who his mate was.)

Diego took a step forward.

His heart stopped.

Suddenly, he could only see the blue of the academy's uniform as someone appeared in front of him. Looking up at the person's face, he saw Five, who wore a furious expression. He came to the logical conclusion that he teleported there. Five stared Diego down, eyes flashing color in warning, savage growls leaving him.

He realized that Five was _protecting_ him.

(He wouldn't understand until later what this meant.)

Diego did not back down and rushed at them. Five’s eyes completely changed as he charged straight at Diego.

He blinked.

He looked at Klaus.

Klaus blinked.

He turned back to look at the alphas.

He blinked again.

_Oh...this is bad news._

*

He could only feel fury as he teleported to block Ben from Diego. 

He was holding himself back before as he didn't want to upset Ben. If Ben was presenting as an alpha, his move wouldn't have been appreciated. However, when he perceived that Ben wasn't going to fight back, as his eyes didn't even change color at the warning, a thought flashed past his mind.

 _If Ben didn't fight back...he would get hurt._

His alpha went berserk at that revelation. Ben's terrified expression not helping, only making him feel the rapidly expanding need to _protect him._ Automatically, his powers had transported him so he could help Ben. And now that he stood in front of him, only one thought crossed his mind as his eyes flashed color in warning, growls escaping him.

_Protect mate. Protect mate. Protect mate._

Somewhere far in the back of his mind, he hoped Diego would back down so he wouldn't have to hurt him. However, his alpha was quickly taking control and the feeling diminished.

_Protect mate. Protect mate. Protect._

As soon as he spotted Diego taking a stride forward, his alpha took over completely and he charged forward, eyes burning with fire.

_Protect mate. Protect. Protect._

Diego tossed a knife directly at him and he teleported next to him in return. Throwing a punch, he managed to get a hit on Diego’s cheek before Diego’s knife came around and lodged into his shoulder. Diego probably knew what he would do. 

_Protect. Protect. Protect._

He tossed the knife out, crimson appearing around the injury on his shoulder, tainting his uniform. He saw Diego spit out red before feeling his feet get knocked out from beneath him. He teleported, appearing behind Diego, flipping to his hands to rain down a kick on him. Sensing him, Diego swiftly turned around and raised his hands to catch his foot. He smirked and used his other foot to kick Diego straight in the chest, effectively shoving him backward. 

_ProtectProtectProtectProtectProtectProtect_

Coughing, then growling in anger, Diego kicked his side before he had the chance to get back on his feet, sending him tumbling over. He knew that would leave a bruise. As he fell, he rolled out to land on his knees, blinking away just in time to escape a knife being sent his way. The knife sunk into the wall. 

_protectprotectprotectprotectprotectprotect_

This time, he appeared a few feet in front of Diego and caught another knife thrown at him before it could make contact. Diego scowled. He tossed the knife upwards and caught it again, smiling wide. He started racing towards Diego to try and do some damage before a familiar face blocked his path. Right before him, frowning deeply, stood Ben, with arms crossed across his chest.

And Ben looked _pissed._

~

He could only look on in shock, watching as a knife flew his way before sharply turning back around. He saw Five appear next to Diego and punch him before the knife impaled his shoulder. He tried to get his bearings as the two proceeded to fight.

 _I- Wha-what? What is happening right now? Oh my Go- Five usually isn't stupid but...these two morons!_ He was suddenly very tired. _Wait...are they going to- They're going to kill each other!_

Acting quickly, he made his way over to Klaus, needing him to enact an idea. He speedily stepped around the fight, making sure not to draw attention to himself. As he made his way closer to Klaus, he noticed that an audience had formed, due to Allison and Vanya's sudden appearance next to Luther. 

_Guess we're all here now. Yay, Team Zero._

He let out a soulful sigh.

He could tell that Luther and Allison were getting agitated at the violence being shown, itching to join. Luther's eyes were constantly flashing, Allison's doing the same. Ben didn't have enough time to focus on the fact that Allison was presenting as an alpha (which was so _unfair)_ , as he made eye contact with Vanya. He knew he could count on her.

He vaguely registered the tears streaming from Vanya's shining eyes as he pleaded with his own, glancing at the two others with her. Luckily, Vanya immediately knew what he was asking and halted her tears, eyes returning to their usual brown. Turning to Allison and Luther, she used large puppy dog eyes on them, trying to get them into the hallway for the time being. It worked, of course (practically everyone had a soft spot for Vanya), and she led the two away from the brawl.

He finally appeared next to Klaus and whispered his plan to him before catching sight of Five seizing Diego’s knife. He knew it was his chance and rushed forward.

His words faded behind him as he ran. 

_("I know it's dangerous to get in between two alphas, but we don't have a choice. Step in front of Diego and snap him out of his state by talking to him. It should work as he sees you as his mate," He said as Klaus blushed. He continued and suppressed the urge to tease Klaus, "I'll deal with Five since we're close and he's in this because of me."_

_Klaus nodded, becoming determined.)_

As he got closer to Five, he saw his eyes and noticed the predatory look in them. His mind flashed to images of the _terrified_ look Klaus had sent his way when he saw Diego and Five. Fury made its way through his body, upset that Diego had frightened Klaus and that Five had made it worse.

_Idiots! How could they?!_

He frowned, stepping in front of Five, waiting for him to meet his eyes. He crossed his arms, feeling Klaus halt behind him, probably making eye contact with Diego. He can practically feel Diego become rigid even if he couldn’t see him. Klaus didn't sound too happy as he spoke to Diego. He didn't focus on that conversation for too long, tuning it out as soon as Five recognized him. Five hesitated, glancing over his shoulder and shuffling in place. He grew a bit more agitated at the movement. As he tried to calm down, Five had the audacity to try and slightly sidestep past him to get to his “enemy.” 

He had the sudden urge to _strangle_ Five.

Don't. 

_Shut up. I don't even know what you are. You have no say in things._

Hmpf. I already told you. 

_Whatever. I have to focus on other things right now._

_“Five,”_ He stressed, forcing Five’s attention back to himself. He was starting to get even more upset that Five was ignoring him. “You _idiot._ I can't believe you-”

Before he had the chance to berate Five, a bell was rung.

_Seriously?_

“Children, breakfast is finished! Sit and eat, everyone will need their energy for these next few days!” Mom enthusiastically said, already setting the plates. 

She didn’t seem to notice the high tension as she hummed to herself and cleaned up the broken mix of cookies and glass. The other three siblings emerged from the hall and sat down. With a glare towards Five, he walked over to take his seat. Klaus sat next to him looking troubled. It took a while for Five and Diego to sit. Everyone remained tense as they began to eat. Luckily, Mom didn’t force them to listen to another boring rant, instead, putting on lighthearted music. She then went to work taking care of Diego and Five's injuries. It was nothing major, Five being left with a slit in his sleeve that was stained crimson and Diego with a slightly swollen cheek that was bright red. They could have bruises, but he couldn’t see those so he was unsure. The music filled the room. It was a calm tune. As it carried on, he took a glance at Five and frowned. He ignored Five’s attempts at making eye contact after that, instead patting Klaus on the back and smiling at the worried, tearful Vanya. She scanned him for a second then focused her attention on her food. 

The atmosphere became tranquil. 

*

_He won’t talk to me unless I apologize. Must I really have to do this? I bet no other alpha has to apologize for their rage...or for protecting their mate. Ugh._

“I’m sorry, Ben. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m also apologizing to both Klaus and Diego.” He spat out, forcing a smile.

He kicked Diego’s leg underneath the table, communicating with his eyes. Diego let out a soft growl but eventually relented, most likely knowing it was the smartest move.

“Yeah, I’m sorry too and it’s fine Five, w-wasn’t your fault,” Diego muttered, glaring at his food.

Both Ben and Klaus studied them for a minute. He grew a bit nervous that they wouldn’t accept the apologies. The feeling went away when he noticed their soft smiles. Relief washed over him.

“It’s fine guys, don’t worry about it,” Klaus said, smile stretching wide.

“You're both not really to blame anyway. Ruts are soon, so I expected something like this.” Ben said, looking at him with an amused grin.

Chatter came alive at that, everyone nervous about the upcoming event. They all knew how unbearable it would be, so no one felt prepared for the next few days.

“Are you seriously wearing the academy uniform, Five? It’s not unpleasant?” Klaus asked with a grimace. Klaus wore a white crop top that was tied up in the front and hung off one shoulder. With it was high-waisted, jade green palazzo pants, which had beautiful designs of flowers made of forest green.

“I think it’s quite comfortable. Besides, I don’t want to look anything but presentable and this is the only sophisticated outfit I own.” He replied wearing the complete navy blue uniform, nothing out of place. Well, it used to be that way until his fight with Diego, it had some creases now, along with the spot of red on his shoulder.

“That’s because you refused to get any personal outfits the one time we snuck out to buy some.” Ben flatly stated as he played with the neon orange strings of his favorite black hoodie. It had rabbit ears on the hood and a small, neon orange design of a rabbit on the left side of the chest. Underneath, was a white shirt that revealed itself at the bottom of the hoodie. It was paired with simple blue jeans.

“It will be your own fault when you get upset at your outfit during your rut.” Vanya put in. She tugged at the sleeves of her soft periwinkle purple sweater, wearing blue jeans with it. The sides of the sleeves had a curvy, black design of the word “extraordinary.”

“Honestly, you should know better, Five.” Allison threw in, tossing her hair behind her with a smile. It fell behind her bare shoulder due to the fact that she was wearing an off-shoulder dress. The very top and short sleeves were ruffled and the whole thing was a lovely watermelon pink, showcasing a white floral design and reaching just past her knees.

“Shut up.” He snapped. “I didn’t feel a need for any other clothes. I’ll be fine.”

“Come on, Five. They’re only trying to help you understand your awful decisions.” Diego commented, coughing to disguise his snicker. He wore a faded cherry red flannel shirt that was halfway unbuttoned, which let his white undershirt show. A black jacket was thrown over it and it was paired with black jeans.

“Your outfit isn’t any better, Diego,” Luther mentioned with a raised brow as he only wore a simple white v-neck with a golden yellow, short-sleeved button-up that was open. He wore black jeans with it.

“At least I don't blind people with an ugly shirt."

"It's a nice shirt, so shut up. And I'll have you know it will be very convenient when my rut hits."

"Whatever. Speaking of ruts, I noticed Miss Number Three over here ready to join our fight earlier. Has someone finally figured out her subgender?” Diego asked with a smirk.

“We all knew I would eventually. I’m only a bit surprised at what it turned out to be.” Allison replied, glowing with joy.

“Well then, how about Mister Number Six-” 

“I thought Ally was going to turn out an omega!” Klaus blurted, looking rather nervous as he glanced at a slightly pale Ben.

_That was odd._

“I had a feeling she was going to be an alpha,” Vanya said.

“Are you that surprised Klaus?” Allison asked.

“I’m not. Your one strong person, Allison. You’ll make a great alpha,” Luther commented.

“How disgustingly sweet,” He drawled with a roll of his eyes. “I’m surprised you didn’t end up an omega, Luther.”

Luther growled at him, picking up the closest object and hurling it at him. It turned out to be a piece of bacon. He caught it and took a bite with a smug smile. It quickly dropped when he noticed Klaus and Vanya’s expressions.

“N-not that there’s anything wrong with omegas, of course.” He rushed out. 

They raised a brow before they went back to eating. The other alphas snickered at him. He growled at them and went to take another bite of the bacon that was thrown at him. Before he could, it was snatched out of his hands and tossed into another mouth. 

Klaus chewed the bacon with a hum of delight while Ben, who no longer looked pale, licked off the grease from his nimble fingers. 

(His alpha went berserk at the sight, but he ignored the feeling of desire that rushed through him.)

~

Both he and Klaus started giggling at Five’s wide-eyed look. The others also chuckled at the crime committed. Five moved his eyes to blankly stare at his empty hand. Diego started laughing harder at that. Acting quick, he also stole bacon that was in Diego’s hand. Again, he took a bite and fed the rest to Klaus before licking off the grease from his index and thumb. (It was sort of disgusting, but he wanted to taunt them more so he stuck with it.) Diego stopped laughing, now also staring blankly at his empty hand. 

A pause.

“What was that for?!” The victims shouted together.

“Consider it payback,” Klaus laughed.

“Come on, it was only a single piece. There’s more, so you can’t be that mad can you?” He asked. 

He and Klaus pouted at the alphas, waiting for them to admit defeat. He saw them both slowly give in. They sighed and he knew his side had won. He high-fived Klaus and went back to his meal. As he lifted some bacon to his mouth, he saw Diego’s hand reach out. He moved it away and shook his head at Diego with a mocking sigh. Diego only smirked in return, which set off alarms in his mind.

_He was just caught, why isn’t he upset? Wait...where’s Five?_

As soon as he noticed, Five blinked beside him and stole his and Klaus’ plates, then blinked back. He stared in shock as Five calmly sat down, giving Diego one of the plates. He heard Klaus release a confused noise next to him. He also heard the rest of the family start another round of laughter. He scowled as he reached out for his plate. Five clutched his hand, imitating him with a shake of his head and a mocking sigh. He sat back in his seat with a huff, watching as Five and Diego ate their portion of food. Five even hand-fed some to Vanya, who ate it with delight.

(He felt a flare of jealousy at that. Vanya was a pretty _omega_ after all. He didn’t know where it came from..maybe the strange voice that revealed itself more than ever at the action. He ignored both things.)

“Consider _that_ payback.” Five spoke, a smirk gracing his features.

“Haha, _funny._ Now give it back to us, we’re hungry too, you know.” He replied.

“I don’t know if we want to, this food is pretty good,” Diego responded, continuing to munch away.

“Of course it’s good, Mom made it! And don’t finish it all!” Klaus whined, keeping his eyes on Diego. “Come on, give it back, Diego? I’m really hungry.”

He could see Diego start to falter at the whines. He glanced at Klaus and saw the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. Knowing Klaus was playing dirty, he turned back to Diego and watched his resolve slowly crumble. Diego held strong however and shook his head, peeling his eyes away. He was surprised Diego was able to do so, but Klaus wasn’t done. 

“Please, _alpha?”_

Everything screeched to a halt. Luther and Allison started to choke on their food, Vanya dropped her fork, and Five stared wide-eyed. Meanwhile, Diego flushed, eyes flashing a different color. Klaus sniffed and started to tear up. But Klaus’s eyes didn’t change color, so he knew they were fake. It seemed that he was the only one. 

_This sneaky bastard._ He thought with a smirk.

Diego snapped his gaze back to Klaus and he could see him fully break at that. Diego quickly placed the plate in front of Klaus, even piling some more food on it. As everyone looked on, Klaus let out a happy chirp, grabbing his fork and eating with fervor. Diego only looked slightly shameful as he watched Klaus.

_It worked._

Blinking at the complete success, he turned to Five. He caught Five’s eye and smiled, getting ready to copy Klaus. He didn’t even get to open his mouth when Five rapidly gave him back his plate, also giving him more food. He noted the flush starting to creep its way onto Five’s face. He held back his smirk and resumed eating. 

*

_While I would love to hear that from him, I think I would lose control, so I would rather not test myself._

He glared at Ben for his cheating ways, silently fuming. He barely noticed the bewildered look on Number One.

“Hold up, can we talk about what just happened there?” Luther said.

“What’s there to talk about? It was obvious Diego saw Klaus that way.” Allison replied.

“I had my suspicions as well, I just didn’t think they would reveal it so bluntly,” Vanya commented.

"Am I the only one who didn’t know?!” Luther shouted.

“Pretty much,” Ben told him.

“Are you going to say something?” Luther questioned Diego.

“No, not unless you’re willing to talk about you and Allison,” Diego replied, not even looking Luther’s direction.

Both Luther and Allison blushed at that, Luther glaring at Diego. They began to argue when Mom spoke up.

“Now, now, children. It doesn’t matter who your siblings accept as mates, as long as it’s mutual. It’s okay to love who you want, just as it is okay to be a beta. Like sweet Ben over here.”

She smiled pleasantly at Ben and pet his hair. 

_Oh...oh, shit. How did I not notice?_

~

He froze at those words. It went silent and he became pale as everyone stared at him. Fidgeting in his seat, he watched as their eyes slowly lit up with realization, excluding Klaus who already knew and instead looked worried. Each emotion quickly turned into despair the longer they stared. He nervously bit at his lip, hard enough to almost make it bleed. As he started to tear up from the attention, Five coughed into his hand. He looked at him and was met with an encouraging smile.

_Looks like I’m accepting this right now then._

“Y-yeah, I’m a beta.” He whispered out.

“And there’s nothing wrong with it.” Mom smiled. 

“T-thanks, Mom.”

The rest continued to stare at him. He kept his gaze on Five, hoping he would say something. Five did.

“It doesn’t matter that Ben is a beta, but it will to Dad. We all can predict the result of this. It’s important for us to help Ben as much as possible.”

“We don’t know what Dad plans to do.” Luther brought up with sad eyes.

“It doesn’t matter, we’ll figure something out,” Allison remarked, seeming to try to convince herself.

“And if w-w-we c-ca-can’t?” Diego asked, stutter worse due to his concern.

“We _will._ We have to.” Klaus snapped, not taking his eyes off of Ben.

“I’m sure we can, we have a couple of days. Don’t worry about it too much.” Vanya reassured him, placing her hand over his.

He weakly smiled back at her, then lowered his gaze to his plate of food. No longer hungry, he moved his food around a bit before placing down his fork. 

“Since you are a beta, you can help watch over your sibling’s ruts and heats. Would you do that for me?” Mom asked him.

“Yeah, sure Mom.”

_Might as well be useful for something, right?_

\--

Everyone could sense the atmosphere turn gloomy the longer Ben blankly stared at his food, no one eating. Grace noticed as she placed a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder, then went to clear the table, emptying it before she walked out of the room. Not knowing what to do, the others stared at Five, hoping he had a solution. He thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. He looked at Luther and mouthed something to him. No one could tell what it was, but Luther seemed to understand, abruptly standing up. He shouted a “wait here” as he ran out of the room. It took a couple of minutes, where some thumping sounds could be heard, before Luther reemerged. He held something in his hands as he walked over to the record player. He stopped it and put on another record. Soon, an upbeat tune started to sound throughout the room. 

[A/N: Y'all already know what it is ;)]

Excluding Five, the one's still seated looked baffled, gazes wandering around. Luther tapped to the beat before he walked over to Allison and tugged her out of her chair. He spun her around and released, sending her forwards, twirling. She went in a fit of laughter, dress whirling with her, and got the hint. She spun to Klaus and dragged him to his feet. Slowly, she swayed to the beat and had Klaus do the same before she gave him a light push. Realization crossing through his eyes, Klaus made an exaggerated move of stepping onto his chair and sitting on the table. He crossed his legs before laying on the table and looking at Diego. Winking at him, he sat up in a wave and stood on the table, making his way in front of Diego and kneeling. He grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, letting their lips hover over one another. Diego seemed to understand what was happening and Klaus shoved him backward, the chair falling with him. Before Diego could crash he went up onto his hands and landed back on his feet, doing a backflip. When he landed, he did some body rolls and moonwalked his way over to Vanya. She watched in bewilderment as he popped and locked next to her before pulling her up. He put her in a dip and smiled when she finally caught on. She was pulled up and allowed to show off some of her own moves. Getting into the beat, Vanya did a cute dance, bopping to the music and slowly moving her limbs. She looked at Five, words not needing to be said as she instead stepped back to Diego. She followed his lead in a tango as they made their way back to the others who were standing and dancing around one another. 

The room started to fill with laughter.

The only ones left at the table were Five and Ben. Five blinked next to Ben and kicked the table. It went crashing into the wall with some of the chairs. Five pushed the rest of the chairs against another wall, giving them more space to move. That left Ben’s chair the only one in the middle of the room. Ben stared in complete confusion. He glanced at his siblings laughing and then returned his gaze to Five who was walking towards him. Five looked at the others and shook his head, putting one hand into his pocket. Then, he let a small smile fall on his lips as he slowly started to let his body move to the beat. As he bounced his body left and right, he stretched out his other hand to Ben, expectation in his eyes. Ben took the offered hand and Five heaved him up. He kicked Ben’s chair, sending it flying away as he then gave Ben a nod of encouragement, continuing to follow the music. Glancing around at everyone one more time, Ben finally pieced together what his siblings were doing and he smiled, rocking to the music. Once he started to dance, Five grabbed and pulled him close. Five put his hands on his waist as he swayed with him, matching the upbeat music. Ben placed his hands around Five’s neck and followed his lead, pressing their foreheads together. 

(They missed the looks their siblings gave each other, understanding passing through their eyes, one by one. They all smiled and had the same thought before they continued dancing.

_How cute.)_

They danced like that for a moment before Five weirdly waltzed them to the center of the room. Everyone followed to have more space to dance. 

Luther did his best, doing a weird crab dance and accidentally smacking Klaus in the face at one point. Diego went all out, twisting his body to the beat and flowing with the music. Allison swayed her hips and had a blast using props from around the room, at one point grabbing a spatula from nowhere and lip-syncing. Klaus danced like he did everything: crazy and weird. He went bouncing around and swung off of people's shoulders, even dancing with a vase of flowers. (He also tried to use a chair to help him show off some more...explicit moves. Diego blushed when he realized and Ben smacked Klaus over the head for it, putting a stop to it before it could begin.) Five acted like he was being forced to dance, but everyone could see the fond smile he had as he nodded to the beat and moved side to side. Ben slid his feet and moved his arms along to the music, bouncing along with the beat and swinging his hips. Vanya continued her adorable dance from before, limbs following along to the beat. This time, she had her eyes closed as she fully immersed herself in the music. 

They continued like this for a while, replaying the song when it ended. Some dances didn't match the music but they didn't care. They danced alone...and with partners. That made it even more entertaining.

The pairings constantly changed, some working better than others. Luther and Allison did a dreamy, romantic duet in which they flowed around each other. Diego and Klaus went bizarre with their dance as they swung all around the room. They moved harsh and fast against one another. Five and Ben held each other close, twisting around each other, doing a weird salsa dance. Vanya grabbed Five sometime, bringing him into a cute slow dance as they rocked side to side, Vanya leaning her head on his shoulder. Ben and Klaus went crazy when they danced together, hyping each other up and practically bouncing off the walls as they flung their limbs everywhere. It barely looked like a dance, but they were having fun, so no one said a word about it. Diego and Allison had danced together once and they both did an amazing job of flowing with the music, doing large sweeps and spins. Vanya had teamed up with Luther at one point and it was a hilarious sight to see Luther twirl Vanya everywhere. She laughed wildly though, so everyone just beamed at them. Next, was Klaus and Five (Five being forced into it) and it was quickly clear that it wasn't working. Klaus moved too fast for Five, mostly dragging him along with his quick pace. Five managed to leave and tried to make his way back to Ben. He was caught on the way, however, and that put him in a stumbling samba with Allison. They moved with each other at a quick pace and Five would never admit that he had fun with it. Diego and Ben tried a dance together with Diego leading, bringing Ben around the room in a fast foxtrot. It wasn't very good, Ben tumbling everywhere, but it was still fun for both parties. When Allison went to find another partner, she locked eyes with Klaus and they smirked at each other. Allison and Klaus dancing together slowly turned explicit until they had to finally be separated. Luther grabbed Klaus, while Ben got Allison. This turned into Luther crab dancing with Klaus across the room, both singing (screeching) along with the song. Allison had managed to get Ben into the strangest tango as they walked along the room and made sharp turns and spins. At one point, Diego and Vanya moved their hips side to side as they danced next to one another, doing a wave with their arms. One pairing was a group one as Ben and Vanya roped Five into a trio, the three forming a conga line that everyone quickly joined.

At one point, the family had gathered in a circle, cups full of sparkling cider in their hands.

“Happy Birthday, Team Zero!” They shouted together, raising the cups in cheers and downing the contents before they continued on celebrating,

It was the best birthday they ever had, even if it started rough.

Of course, it had to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really happy with the beginning of this chapter, but it will do I guess :/ Hope it makes sense? This is my own take on a/b/o so...yeah. Also, just a note that the couples already see themselves as mates and they are aware of that between each other. (Besides for Ben of course.)
> 
> Yes, there is a reason I gave them those outfits besides for showing how much more comfortable they are without Reginald and for fun. There's a little hint in there, I wonder if anyone will catch it :P
> 
> And I needed to give the family one last moment of joy before life gets hard for them. And it will.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed their dance celebration! ~ XYZ


	6. The Love That Runs Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there will be no smut or anything between these characters, they're sixteen. However, it is ruts and heats so there will be making out but nothing really past that, besides scenting and neck kisses.
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.
> 
> \-- Neutral P.O.V.

\--

The dancing family never noticed morning turn into afternoon into evening as the sun began to cast an orange-red light over them. Having way too much fun and not wanting to stop, their laughter continued to echo throughout the room, as did their footsteps. If they had noticed, they would have realized that it was dangerous for them to be so close together.

When it was time to replay the song for the nth time, people switched partners or stood alone as they waited for Luther to do so. Someone turned on the lights, brightening the room. No one looked twice at Klaus’ somewhat flushed cheeks and slightly hazy eyes. They assumed it was from dancing. 

During the pause, Klaus went straight to Diego, stumbling a bit, and grabbing him. Diego felt something was off as he moved to pull away and question him. Klaus was very persistent, however, whining and tugging Diego close, placing his hands on Diego’s shoulders in a firm grip. Giving in and ignoring the looming feeling in his stomach, Diego embraced Klaus around the waist, bringing him closer. This left no space between them. Looking right into Klaus’ eyes, Diego had the sudden urge to kiss him. So, he did just that. Leaning forward, he brought their lips together in a chaste kiss. Klaus let out a loud purr.

(That set in motion a sequence of disastrous events.)

In reaction to the kiss, everyone started to whistle and tease them on the sidelines. They quickly halted when a sweet scent wafted throughout the room. Focusing their attention on the scent, they realized it was coming from the couple. Everyone watched as the kiss grew heavy, Klaus throwing his hands around Diego’s neck and deepening it. Diego let out a surprised croak at that and quickly broke them apart. As a result, Klaus let out a huge whine, tugging on Diego’s hair and desperately trying to get closer. Growing baffled, Diego stepped away which made Klaus’s grip fall. His action caused Klaus to grow distressed, the sweet scent turning a bit sour. 

It took a while before everyone realized that the scent was emitting from Klaus. They were surprised at that since he didn’t have a scent mere moments before. Figuring something was wrong, Ben examined Klaus and realized that his face was completely flushed and his eyes were foggy. It clicked in his mind a second later.

~

_Oh, shit._

“Klaus is going into heat!” He shouted, watching as Klaus started to pant and tear up.

“What?!” Luther responded.

“I didn’t even recognize the signs!” Vanya cried, looking worried the longer she watched Klaus.

“If Klaus is going into heat, doesn’t that mean-” Allison started when she was cut off by Five.

 _“Shit!_ Diego, get away from him!”

As Five was yelling, they all watched Diego do the exact opposite, stepping closer to Klaus. He knew it was too late when Diego turned to them with deep scarlet eyes. Diego turned back to the omega in heat and reached out, cupping their face. Klaus’ eyes shifted to a vivid emerald and nuzzled into the hand, purrs resuming. In turn, Diego let out a mix of soft rumbles and growls. It was then that he got a whiff of a different scent spreading through the room. This one was musky. It informed him that Diego’s rut had begun.

_This just became worse._

No one made a move as Diego nuzzled into Klaus’ neck. 

He was frozen in place, trying to think of a way to help. He went anxious at the sight of Klaus granting more access to the alpha in rut. Knowing he couldn’t let anything happen, he rushed towards them. He was stopped by an arm around his waist. He looked to his side and saw Five giving him a warning look. He turned confused as he struggled in the hold. Five dug nails into his hip and he met his eyes again. Five nodded his head in the couple’s direction and he turned to see Diego growling because of his sudden movement. Diego hid Klaus from view, keeping his gaze on him. 

“He won’t let us near Klaus at the moment. If you had gone to him, you would have been murdered. Not that I would let that happen to you, but it’s better not start conflict at the moment.” Five told him, looking sideways at Luther.

He followed Five’s gaze and noticed Luther struggling to keep his alpha contained. Luther's eyes were constantly flashing a vibrant gold. He realized that the abrupt omega and alpha pheromones were getting to him. He could also see Allison going through the same situation, her eyes going an electric hot pink. Comprehending the situation, he inspected Five and saw the faintest signs of a struggle, but Five kept it hidden well. The only sane ones were him and Vanya, then.

 _Scratch that, it’s just me._ He anxiously thought as he turned his eyes to Vanya.

She was currently standing in place with flushed cheeks as she kept her glistening violet eyes on Klaus. He knew the sudden heat was triggering hers as well. At least her eyes weren’t misty. That wasn’t very reassuring. 

_Calm down, Ben. You can do this, just clear your head and think._

It didn’t work. Nothing was going right and he didn’t know what to do. He became more panicked. Everything continued to get worse as the grip on his hip gradually got tighter. He let out a soft yelp when Five started to let out harsh pants. He knew Five’s alpha was revealing itself. The others were about to fully succumb to their subgenders as well. This meant they will all be in full ruts and heats soon. He couldn’t let that happen yet.

“Five.” He tried to get his attention, but it wasn’t working the more Five lost control. “Five! Please, I need you to listen to me! _Five!”_

Five said nothing in return, not even looking his way. Instead, an unfocused gaze kept to the floor as Five fought to gain control. Just like the rest of them, it was a losing battle. Five’s eyes were starting to turn a brilliant royal blue. Various scents started to fill the room and it was making him a bit nauseous. 

_Shit! I can’t do anything to stop his alpha. Everyone is so close to losing complete control. They can’t be together when that happens or the alphas will murder one another. They could bond as well and I can’t let that happen. Shit, Diego won’t let us near Klaus since he’s in a protective mode right now. Wait..._ He suddenly remembered when Five protected him, just like Diego did with Klaus. _If Diego protected Klaus because he saw him as a mate, then wouldn’t that mean Five...?_

He blushed when he put it together. Elation flowed through him at the revelation. Five loved him as much as he loved Five. He got lost in the feeling before he remembered the current predicament. Ignoring the discovery for now (he'll squeal about it later though), he tried to figure something out when he recalled breakfast. He turned towards Five and thought of a plan. As he watched Five’s eyes turn completely blue, he prayed it would work.

“A-alpha,” He forced out, blushing harder as the word felt foreign on his tongue. Yet, it worked to gain Five’s attention as his head snapped towards him. “Alpha, I need your help. Would you do something for me?”

Five stared at him for a second before he nodded.

“Perfect, I need you to...” He whispered the rest into his ear, having to stand on his toes to do so. 

Landing back on his heels, he watched as Five processed his request. He felt a surge of success when Five blinked away, instead, landing next to Vanya. Five picked her up and blinked away before he came back. Five repeated this process with Allison and Luther, not picking them up, just grabbing their shoulder and teleporting before they could fight.

 _Good to know his alpha listens well. That went better than I imagined. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the couple._ He thought before Five appeared next to him once more. _Well, I guess he mostly listens._

“Five? I told you once you were finished to blink to your room and stay there.” 

Five only stared at him, eyes slowly starting to fill with an emotion he couldn’t identify. They kept eye contact, both not moving. Feeling uneasy, he took a step back. As soon as he did so, Five took a hold of his wrist and tugged him forwards. He tripped over his feet and crashed into Five’s chest. Flinching back, they met eyes and he finally registered the emotion in Five's eyes to be _desire._ He alarmingly realized that Five wanted to spend his rut with his mate. Which, in Five's mind, would be...

...him.

_Well, fuck._

(Really, he should’ve known better.)

He panicked and thrashed against Five’s hold. Noticing the hand around his wrist begin to glow blue, he raced to think of an escape plan. He came to the unfavorable conclusion that the only way out was to use his powers. But when he lifted his clothes a bit to do so, the Horror refused to come out. It was completely still within him. This was a first as he usually had to force the Horror to remain inside, not force him to leave. Nothing worked, the Horror wouldn't budge.

_Well...fuck._

Out of ideas, he could only helplessly watch Diego pick up Klaus as Five blinked them away. He vaguely registered the room to be Five's when his feet touched the floor. He immediately tried to break away again. Five didn’t make it easy as the grip on his wrist tightened. He let out a panicked whimper. The pressure left his wrist and he was able to take steps backward. Looking up, he saw Five’s concerned gaze on him. He strangely felt the need to comfort him.

“N-no, I’m okay! You didn’t hurt me, I was just overreacting.” He reassured Five. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Five examined him a bit more before nodding. He felt relieved at that. It was quickly overcome with distress when he was lifted off his feet. Five threw him onto the bed and pinned him down by his wrists. He felt his face flush as Five hovered over him. He tried to struggle once more, but it was put to an end when, suddenly, their lips crashed together. Getting overwhelmed at finally kissing his love, he lost his will to escape. He vaguely heard the purrs that were resonating from within him. He went slack and Five released the grip on his wrists, instead putting his hands on either side of his face. As soon as they were free, his hands instantly found their way into Five’s soft hair. He tugged on some strands and shuddered in pleasure at Five’s possessive growl.

_God, I've wanted to do this since forever. It's more incredible than I would have ever imagined...wasn’t I supposed to be doing something?_

No. 

_No...?_

He couldn't get his mind to focus as he became intoxicated by Five's new scent. He could practically taste the roasted coffee being emitted. The hint of marshmallows only an excellent addition to the already delightful aroma. It surrounded him completely, which drove him mad. He couldn't help but think it was so precisely _Five_. That made it his new favorite fragrance. 

He didn't react as Five pulled his hoodie, then shirt up, exposing some skin. But, he crashed back to reality when he felt hands underneath his clothes, traveling up his torso. Halting his purrs, he shoved Five off of him. He managed to catch Five off guard as he fell to the floor with a growl of surprise. Not wanting to waste a second, he scrambled to his feet and raced to the door. He didn’t get very far when he felt a hand pull on his foot. The floor came up to meet him very quickly. Groaning in pain, he felt a presence come up behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, he was met with Five standing over him, looking disgruntled. (Something inside of him screamed at him to submit and let things be, but he couldn’t do that...no matter how much he craved to.) He flipped to his back and stood on his feet. Five took a step towards him, so he took a step back. This went on until he felt his back hit a wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the door next to him. Hope filled his heart. He just needed a way to distract Five and escape. That part got harder when Five caged him against the wall. He made a choked noise as Five leaned towards him. He quickly put his hands on Five's shoulders and held him away. They were so close together that he could feel Five's huffs of air on his face.

"F-five, listen to me. We can't do this. Not right now, at least-"

"Why not, Ben?"

He felt himself shiver as his name was said in a raspy voice. It affected him more than he would like to admit.

_D-don't give in, Ben. This can't happen._

"You _know_ why. There are a million reasons-"

"None of them are good enough."

"Stop interrupting me and _listen!_ We're both too young a-and, and we have our whole life ahead of us-" 

"And? I want to spend my whole life with you anyway. You're my future, Benny Ben."

_Why must he make this so difficult? Stubborn bastard. Damn him and his alluring words._

"Well then, we have plenty of time in the _future,_ so we are not doing this now. Get away from me, you idiot!"

"I thought you would be glad about this. We'll finally get to bond."

"We're not going to bond! That's your stupid rut talking!" 

"You don't want to?" Five grew pained at that, pulling his head back from him.

"Of course, I do, Space Prince." He quickly told Five, bringing their foreheads together. Looks like he was still weak when it came to Five. "But not when I barely realized my feelings are reciprocated and when we haven't talked about it."

"I'm agreeing to it now."

"You're not in the correct mindset now."

With that, he pressed a soft kiss against Five's mouth. He let it linger for a second as he turned the doorknob and got it open. When that was complete, he separated from Five and ducked under his arm. He rushed out the door, closing and locking it behind him before he leaned against it. He was glad Father had installed doors that locked on the outside for these occasions. He could feel Five bang his fists against it before he heard cursing, then low warping sounds. Father informed them that they wouldn’t be able to use their powers during ruts and heats. That means Five was completely in his rut. Realizing Five couldn't blink, he let out a sigh of relief and slid down the door. He put his head in his hands and took deep breaths.

_That was too close. My resolve was cracking at the end there. Damn my love for him._

Picking his head up and leaning it against the door, he started shouting at Five to focus on the rut when a loud cry of despair reached his ears. He recognized the noise to come from Klaus. Remembering that Klaus was with Diego, he shot up and sprinted towards the sound. When he got there, he was quite shocked. Separating Diego and Klaus from each other was...Mom. She had a gentle smile on her face as she kept a firm grip on both their shoulders. They couldn't seem to move an inch. Not from a lack of trying. He could see Diego clawing at Mom’s hand and Klaus resisting her hold, trying to reach Diego again. When she noticed him, she spoke.

"Ah, there you are, Ben. I was hoping I wouldn't have to force you and Five apart, but it looks like I won't need to. I caught these two leaving when I was on my way back to the dining room. All of your lovely laughter stopped and I grew worried, so I made my way over. I'm glad I did as these two can't bond or your father will be furious. I wouldn't want any of you to get punished because of it. Will you be a sweetheart and guide Klaus to his room to finish his heat there?"

"Yeah, of course, Mom."

"Thank you."

He made his way over to Klaus and grabbed him. Diego let out a ferocious growl at that and Klaus a miserable whimper. As he moved in the direction of Klaus' room, his mind pondered something.

"Are you sure you'll be fine with Diego?" He asked her when Diego flailed against her hold.

"Of course, dear, don't worry about me. Hurry and take Klaus to his room. Meet me here when you're done." She replied with a sweet smile.

He nodded and led Klaus away. The farther they went, the louder Klaus cried. Klaus was thrashing against his hold and shouting over his shoulder for his alpha. He felt awful as he forced himself to continue, but he knew he couldn't let them spend the next few days together. Steeling his will, he continued to pull Klaus to his room, sobs echoing after them. When they had finally arrived, he was amazed at the cozy nest already built. However, he quickly ignored it, dragging Klaus inside, and setting him on the bed. The cries were starting to get to him and he was _extremely_ close to letting Klaus go where he wanted. Thankfully, it was finally over as he gave Klaus a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room and locking the door. He retraced his steps and found Mom waiting for him, Diego out of sight. 

"He's locked in now."

"Good job, Ben. I'm glad he's safe now. Do you happen to know where the others are? I must know if I have to separate Luther and Allison."

"Oh, I had Five blink them to their rooms and lock them in before he fully went into his rut. They each should safely be in there."

"That's very smart of you, Ben. Now that they're all accounted for, I'll explain how we can watch over them: Every hour that it is breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we will bring them food and check on their health. Just make sure they eat to keep their energy up. You might need to persuade the omegas into doing so. And as long as you keep to yourself, you shouldn't cause too much trouble with the alphas."

"Okay, Mom."

"We'll start once I finish making them a nice dinner. You all missed the last two meals due to your dancing, so everyone should eat now. Oh, and I have objects that should help them through this. We'll hand it to them during our rounds."

He felt his face get hot at those words, comprehending what she was suggesting.

"O-oh, okay."

He gave her a sheepish smile as she patted his head and walked to the kitchen. He decided to turn on all the hallway lights before he followed after her. He fixed the table back into place when he got there and waited for her to finish. As soon as he placed the last chair in position, Mom called him over having made dishes with various portions of food to give his siblings energy. His stomach rumbled at the sight and he apologized in an embarrassed tone. His mother just smiled at him, patting his head again and brushing past him. She told him to stay still and eat his portion, so he did. As he chewed, he thought about what he would do during these next few days. He would be alone as the others would be preoccupied. He's usually surrounded by Five or Klaus, so he's not quite sure what he's going to do without them. 

_Is this how Vanya feels when we leave on missions?_

He became pained at the awful thought. The only consolation he had was that they included her whenever they could. He couldn't imagine how she would feel if they were to constantly ignore her. Speaking of Vanya, he noticed that one portion of food had a bottle of pills next to it, water also set beside it. He assumed it was for her as she told him she had to take some. He wondered if it would be okay for her to take them during this time. He's read about how suppressants could severely damage one's body. He knew they weren't the same as it was medication to help her nerves but he didn't want to take any chances. Their father was deceitful and could have found a new way to harm Vanya. He didn't want her to get hurt anymore. He debated on what to do when Mom walked back into the room with labeled boxes piled in her hands. Each one had a number. Luckily, he had just finished eating.

"Are those to help them?" He asked, putting his dish in the sink to be washed later.

"Yes, we'll give them to each person as we deliver their food. They shouldn't need water at the moment since I'm assuming you all kept hydrated as you celebrated. Have any preferences?"

"I can watch over the omegas."

"I'll take care of three of the alphas, then, and you can help the last one. That way we each watch three. Who would you prefer?"

Five. 

_No._

"I'll deal with…" He scanned his brain as he tried to choose the person that wouldn't be too troublesome. "...Allison." 

"Great choice. It will be easier for me to take the more aggressive ones. And you shouldn't go near Five during this time."

"Yes, I know. I'm going to start with Klaus before I come back for Vanya's then Allison's."

"Okay, dear. Oh, just remember that Vanya _must_ take her medication. It's for her health."

"Why doesn't she keep them on her then? She would have been able to take it earlier."

"Your father gave me the task to give them to her daily. That way we can ensure she takes them. She'll remember once she sees the bottle. There’s water for her as well."

"Is it that important?"

"It's _very_ important...maybe I should handle her-"

"I can do it! I want to be useful and it would be hard for me to watch over the other alphas. As you said, it would be better for you to look after them."

"...alright then. It's essential that you do _not_ forget, do you understand me, Ben?"

"I got it, don't worry!" 

_How strange. It can't be that important for something as small as nerves. Are they hiding something from us? It's not unexpected of Dad, but Mom?_

Ignoring the thought to mull over later, he smiled at his mom before grabbing Klaus a plate of food and stacking it on the box that had the number four. Carrying it down the halls, he tried to prepare himself for what he might see. He knew heats were not merciful. 

As he got closer to his destination, a sweet scent started to float through the air. It smelt like a fruity margarita tinged with cherry wood. (He _knew_ Klaus was drinking alcohol. He shouldn't have believed Klaus when he denied it. He'll have to talk to Klaus about that when he's sane.) He supposed it would be best to get used to his family's new scent as quickly as he could. Stopping in front of the door, he let out a deep sigh and walked in.

He was immediately assaulted by the pheromones. It made him a bit dizzy from the pure strength of it. Shaking his head, he looked for the source. He found a panting Klaus trembling on the bed. Klaus looked like a complete mess, squirming against the sheets and letting out whines and whimpers. Tears poured down the side of Klaus’ face as his whole body was flushed. He was only able to see so because Klaus was naked. He decided to keep his focus solely on Klaus' face, not wanting to see slick everywhere. He made his way closer and placed the food on the bedside table, then set the box on the floor next to the bed. Klaus finally registered there was someone else in the room as he turned his way. His eyes met cloudy, emerald ones. He let a soft smile fall onto his lips.

"Hey, K. Would you mind if I went into your nest?” He knew how protective omegas were of their nests. Klaus shook his head at him and he sat down on the edge of it. He let his hand go through Klaus's hair, pushing it back. “I brought some food to keep you energized. You need to eat to survive these next few days."

"D-Diego...alpha."

"I understand you want your alpha, but you can't spend your heat with him. I'm sorry, Klaus, I won't let that happen."

_"Hurts."_

"I know, Klaus. You can handle much worse than this. I know you'll be okay."

Klaus said nothing in return, only blankly staring his way. Klaus let out another pained whine and tugged on his hoodie. He knew that Klaus wanted help. While he would do anything for Klaus, he wasn't keen on the idea of spending his heat with him. He loved Klaus, of course, but it didn't feel right. Besides, he still believes they're a bit too young. 

(Then, there was Five, who might feel betrayed if he did and he couldn't do that to him...also he was sure Diego would slit his throat with knives once he found out.)

"You and I both know I can't help you during your heat. Don't worry, Mom gathered items that will help make you feel better instead. However, I need you to eat first. Can you do that for me?"

It took a few seconds for Klaus to nod as he processed his words. Once it happened, he smiled and helped Klaus sit up. He placed pillows behind him as he had Klaus lean against the headboard. It was a slow process to get Klaus to eat the whole thing. Once Klaus finally finished, he placed it aside and heaved the box off the floor. He left it open for Klaus and kissed him on his head. 

Taking the empty plate, he walked out of the room back to the kitchen. He got Vanya's supplies and made his way there next. As he stood at Vanya's door he glanced at the medication bottle he brought for her. He made a quick, last-minute decision before he entered.

When he walked inside the room, he was again met with a strong, sweet aroma. This one smelt of rosewood and caramel. He found Vanya in the same situation as Klaus. The only difference was that she kept her purple sweater on. He wasn't sure why when he was positive that it made her condition worse. He walked over to her and set down the food and box. She immediately looked his way. His eyes met hazy, violet ones. He didn't have a chance to react as Vanya pulled him into her nest and scrambled onto his lap, straddling him. He did get the time to hold her back from leaning into him, however. She started to release large whines and he was at a loss for a second. He also felt awkward when his jeans grew wet from where she sat, but he pushed past it to focus on Vanya.

"V? I brought you food that you need to eat. We all missed lunch and you need to keep your energy up."

"Hurts."

"I know, Vanya. It's okay, I know you're strong enough to get through this." 

"Help?"

"You know I can't do that. It won't be right and Five wouldn't be too happy with me."

"Five... _alpha?"_

He felt a spike of irritation at that. Logically, he knew Vanya would accept any alpha at this time, but Five was _his._ He didn't appreciate her addressing Five like he was hers. That strange voice became loud as he unexpectedly fought to restrain a growl. He eventually managed to gain control of himself (by reminding himself that Five wanted _him_ as a mate) and returned his focus on helping Vanya.

"Will you eat for me?"

She nodded her head and sat up by herself, remaining on his lap. He was a bit surprised she was able to do so as Klaus couldn't move that well. He assumed it had something to do with Klaus being separated from his mate. He fed her the food and she finished rather quickly. He placed the plate aside and moved to get up. It didn't work because Vanya refused to get off him.

"Vanya, I have to go check on Allison-"

_"No."_

"No?"

"Help."

_When did Vanya become so demanding?_

"You know I can't. I already told you why." Vanya didn't waver. "Seriously? Hmm, then how about we make a compromise? You can do one _reasonable_ thing. But I have to agree with it and once it's done you have to get off. Sound good?"

Vanya thought about the request before she nodded her head in approval. He prayed the request was nothing too bad.

"Well? What would you like?"

"Smell."

"Smell? Smell what?"

Vanya only looked at his neck in reply. Bemused, Ben decided to let her have her way. 

_Damn my soft spot for her. Today is just not my day...and it's our birthday._

He gave his agreement and she instantly nuzzled her head into his neck. He kept still as he waited for her to do what she wished to. After a second, he realized that she was nudging at his scent gland and inhaling. He found it completely weird until he realized that his scent must have developed. He wouldn't have noticed due to his focus on everyone else. He was again surprised by Vanya. She was able to catch his scent when even he wasn't able to. He was positive he had Klaus and Five's aromas smothering him. He briefly wondered if she was searching for Five's alpha scent to comfort her. He put that thought away when he felt himself grow possessive. She seemed to want his scent since she went to the direct source, but he wasn’t sure so he tried not to read into it. He waited a couple more seconds for her to be relatively satisfied.

"Okay, that's enough. I kept my end of the deal, so you keep yours." 

Looking dazed, Vanya nodded and got off his lap. He smiled at her before placing a kiss on her head and standing up. He hauled the box on her bed and opened it for her use. He moved to the door after grabbing the dirty plate but was stopped at the doorway.

"B-ben...n-need to take m-medic-cation."

"You already did, Vanya."

"N-no? I don't re-remember-"

"It was incorporated into the food, don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Trust me. I'm the one taking care of you after all."

"R-right."

"Good. Oh, you should take off that sweater, I'm sure it's making your heat worse and you'll feel better without it."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"...extraordinary."

_Extraordinary? Oh...I see._

"You don't need a sweater to tell you that, Vanya. All of us think of you that way, no matter what Dad says. I'll remind you every day if I have to, but for now, you should take it off. You'll feel much better that way, okay?"

"...kay."

He beamed at her, hoping to reassure her that he's correct. Vanya followed his advice before collapsing onto her pillows. As he walked out, he couldn't help but feel momentarily guilty. When Vanya had asked, he was shocked that she remembered. He was confident that when she didn't see her medication, she would forget about taking it. And while he knew he should have told the truth, he couldn't stop himself from lying. He only wanted to protect her from pain, even if the pills were truly harmless. He didn't want to take any risks. 

As he walked back to the kitchen, he could feel the bottle of pills weigh down his sleeve.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben just wants to help. And Vanya without her medicine? We all know what happens then ;P
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! ~ XYZ


	7. The Never-Ending Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.
> 
> \-- Neutral P.O.V.

~

After placing the dirty dish in the sink, he retrieved Vanya's pills from his sleeve and opened the bottle. He threw some into the trash, making sure to cover them with other things so they would not be found. He figured he could continue to trash Vanya's daily dose to make it appear like she was taking them. As soon as he finished, he felt someone walk into the room. He quickly closed the bottle, whipping around. He was faced with Mom, her outfit now slightly ruffled. He grew anxious that she had caught him, but tried not to let it show.

"Mom? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing, dear. Luther just decided to be very resistant today." Her gaze wandered to the item in his hand. "Did you do as I asked?"

"Yes."

"And she took them?"

"Yeah, along with her food."

"You didn't take the water with you."

He flung his gaze over to where a glass stood, full of water. He completely forgot about its existence. He tried not to twitch as Mom studied him.

_Shit._

"Oh, um," He recalled a certain memory. "I did take it, but she didn’t need it. Turns out, she swallows them dry. I thought you would have known that?"

"I do."

"Then?"

_Was that a test?_

"Thank you, Ben. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

"I wouldn’t either."

_Which is why I have to keep Vanya from taking them. I’m sorry, Mom._

He was starting to feel cruel for lying to her... despite that, he kept to his decision. Placing the bottle on the table, he put the cup away and grabbed another plate of food for Allison. He picked up her box and was about to head out when he felt a hand grab him. He glanced at it but didn't look over his shoulder. The grip felt more like Reginald than it did Grace. 

And that frightened him.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Ben?"

"No."

The clutch on him turned back to being nurturing. He felt it pat him before disappearing.

"I only have Five left. When you're done, you'll be free to do whatever."

"Okay."

"Be careful with Allison, alright? Remember to try and keep to yourself."

"I will." 

Ben was finally able to walk out of the room. He traveled far enough so Mom wouldn't hear him, then he let out a large sigh of relief. Shoulders slumping, he felt his soul leave his body as he leaned against a wall for support. It took a couple of seconds, where he took deep breaths, until he was able to gather enough energy to continue. Walking towards Allison's room, his mind wandered to the incident in the kitchen.

_That was way too close. I thought she caught on for a second. I'm sure she's suspicious, but I think I can still achieve my plan...besides she's not the only one who's skeptical. I understand her concern for Vanya's health. Yet, I can't help but feel that there's something more to it. Something wrong._

Deep in thought, he didn't notice he reached his destination, feet carrying him by memory. It wasn't until he smashed into the wall adjoining Luther and Allison's room that he realized. The items jumbled around in his hand. It took a while before he was able to gain a firm grasp on them. Having been so suddenly brought back into reality, he was disoriented as he opened the nearest door and stumbled inside. He was instantly hit with strong alpha pheromones. It smelt of summer and barbecues. He didn't expect Allison to smell like this. It only added to his confusion. After a pause, he shook his head out. Thankfully, it mostly cleared his mind and he looked up. He didn't anticipate discovering a room in ruins. 

Pillows were torn, their insides spread throughout the room. The curtains were in tatters and the blankets were thrown everywhere. Even personal items were scattered randomly, probably thrown in rage. He thought that was a bit weird. He assumed Allison would be more composed than this. 

_Guess being an alpha takes a toll on you._

He didn't even see her anywhere. Scanning the room, he finally came across a lump beneath a blanket. The lump was fully pressed against a wall. It was the one that separated Allison and Luther’s rooms. He could only tell by the croons emerging from the other side of the wall. He wasn’t surprised at this, knowing they wanted to be together. However...Luther shouldn’t have been able to be heard from Allison's current position. If he remembers the layout correctly, then Allison should be pressed against the left wall of her room, not the right. He grew confused the longer he thought about it.

_I could’ve sworn her room’s layout was opposite to this. It just looks like the room of-_

He froze, hair standing on end. Scanning the room once more, he noticed various objects that didn’t belong to Allison. The room was even decorated differently. That meant that this room…

...was Luther’s

He panicked at the realization, eyes going wide. That explains the reflected layout. No wonder he felt himself sway left instead of right when he entered the door. And of course, Allison wouldn't smell of meat. Even the breakdown should’ve alerted him this was not Allison’s. It was totally like Luther to destroy the room in a fit of rage. He recalled Mom's earlier comment about Luther being very resistant. That means Luther won't react kindly to someone entering. Great, now, he was going to die for a simple mistake. He wished he could blame it on the fact that it was semi-dark but he couldn't, being able to see clearly. What he could do was mentally laugh at himself for being so stupid. He really didn't notice an entirely different room?

_Am I actually a fool?_

Yes. 

_Shut up, you._

After he took his time reveling in his idiocy, he decided to try and live another day. He took careful steps to face the door and managed to get it open. He grew nervous when the light from the hall flooded in, but Luther didn't budge, so he was safe. Deciding the items in his hands will make things complicated, he placed them on the floor and slowly slid them into the hall with his foot. It ensured that nothing would happen to them if things were to go sideways. He succeeded and was stepping out himself when the floor let out a creak.

The crooning stopped. 

_You've got to be joking. This is just not my day._

He froze again and could feel eyes on him. Unwillingly, he slowly turned his head. He was met with the view of Luther sitting straight up, gazing at him. Luther's eyes were empty and shone yellow. Then, they were filled with fury as their eyes met. He could feel a chill pass through his body. 

Luther abruptly stood up and his mouth fell open in a silent scream. After a few moments, he snapped it shut. Luther wasn't doing anything, simply standing there and staring. As more time passed, he became bewildered. Nothing was happening. He was confident that Luther was about to kill him. Yet, meeting eyes again, he no longer saw anger, Luther simply looked lost. It took a while before he smelt a faint sweet scent. Looking around, he realized it was coming from himself. Suddenly, he remembered Vanya left some slick on him that was gathering Luther's attention. On top of that, he faintly had two other scents on him. Luther was probably trying to distinguish if he was an alpha or omega. He couldn't decide which one he would rather be in Luther's eyes at the moment. Honestly, he should've known better than to walk into an alpha's room, while they were in rut, with another alpha and two omega scents on him. He would be confused if he was Luther as well.

_Wow, I am an idiot._

Told you. 

_Shut up!_

At any rate, it was saving his life for the time being. Raising his hands in surrender, he slowly took steps out the door. That brought Luther back to their predicament as he let out a fierce growl. He halted in place and waited for Luther to make a move. He regretted that decision when Luther unexpectedly dashed towards him. He let this scream be heard as he leaped out the door, slamming it closed behind him. He was about to lock it when he felt a pull from the other side. He lost balance but regained his footing in time to keep Luther from opening the door fully. They took turns tugging the door both ways. 

He desperately held on and used all his strength in keeping it closed. It wasn't working in his favor. Luther had more strength just from his alpha status alone. He was glad that Luther couldn't use his super strength or he would've lost a long time ago. Figuring he needed more power, he tried to use the Horror. Yet again, it refused to come out. 

He wanted to cry.

_You've got to fucking joking. Out of all the times to rebel?!_

Hmm. 

_For the last time, shut the fuck up! I'm not talking to whatever it is you are!_

Out of options, he tried reasoning with Luther.

"Luther, come on, you know I can't let you out! Be grateful that you have the chance to communicate with your mate! Klaus and Diego can't even hear each other! And here you are, practically next to Allison!"

At the mention of Allison, Luther stopped. He took the opportunity to lock the door. He let out shaky laughter as exhaustion filled his bones. He fell to his knees and put his head against the door. It didn't stay there for long as he flinched back a second later, due to Luther pounding on the door. He whacked it in return. 

After he calmed his racing heart, he crawled his way to the correct door. Fortunately, the food and box were left unharmed. He was glad one thing went how he intended. Unsteadily getting to his feet, he plucked the items off the floor and entered Allison's room. This time he was met with a flowery scent mixed with pumpkin spice. _That_ was undoubtedly Allison.

The first thing he did was examine the room to try and determine her mood. He found it to be primarily tidy, save for the blankets thrown near her left wall. Allison lay on the blankets, with one covering her, pink eyes facing the wall. Figuring that she was stable, he walked to her feet and placed down the box. He left it there while he set the plate down near her head. Not sure if he should force her to eat, he stepped back near the door. As he debated on what to do, Allison suddenly sat up. He startled at that and jumped. His back hit the doorknob, which caused him to cry out in agony and fall flat on the floor. He picked his head up in time to see Allison make her way over to him. He truly couldn't believe his luck.

_Definitely not my day._

He could only watch as Allison kneeled in front of him. When she didn't do anything, he sat up onto his heels. They watched each other. Then, Allison reached out for him, getting a hold of his hoodie. He struggled against her grip, but that proved useless. She quickly towered over him and he was forced to lay back. He squirmed underneath her, not understanding what was happening. He quit when Allison leaned down and sniffed at his clothes. It clicked in his brain that she could smell Luther on him. It was probably the strongest as well since he was in Luther's room for a long time. He could use this to his advantage.

"Would you like my hoodie?"

She only nodded in return. He thanked the universe that she was a rational alpha, even in her rut. 

"Let's make a deal, then. You can have my hoodie for the day if you finish that plate of food I brought you. In turn, once I give it to you, I can leave safely and it'll be returned to me without complaint when I check on you tomorrow. I'll even bring you a piece of Luther's clothes if you wish for it."

Allison attentively studied him before she nodded in agreement. She then made her way over and consumed her food. He only had to wait a couple of moments for her to be done. She came back with an empty plate in hand. He took off his hoodie and handed it over to her. At the same time, she gave him the plate. 

Snatching the article of clothing out of his hand, Allison rushed back to her blanket pile and faced the wall again. She let out a soft crooning. It was returned seconds later. He felt like he was intruding on a private moment, so he stood up and walked out the door. As he closed it, he told Allison one last thing.

"There's a box with items that will help you through your rut. It will be in your best interest to use them."

She didn't look his way, but he knew she heard him. With that, he fully closed the door and locked it. He stared at it for a couple of seconds before he walked away. The farther he got, the more he realized what just happened.

_She took my favorite hoodie! Now I have to wait a whole day to get it back. It's absolutely precious to me as well, ughhh._

_("How does this look?"_

_"Wow...that looks perfect on you, Benny Bun."_

_"Why, thank you, Space Prince."_

_"It just might be my favorite clothing on you."_

_"Is that so? Then it's my favorite as well.")_

Walking in his white t-shirt, he felt depressed at losing the comfort of his beloved clothing. He reluctantly agreed it was for the best. After all, now Allison will get some comfort from it. That didn't mean he had to be pleased with his decision. He was becoming more irritated than miserable. It wasn't toward his sister, however, it was towards himself. If he didn't mistakenly walk into Luther's room, he wouldn't have had to lose the clothing.

_But then Allison wouldn't be soothed by it. Damn, this was the only way, wasn't it?_

After putting away Allison's dish, he let his feet drag him wherever too exhausted to realize where he was going. He quickly despised his decision when he heard vicious growling ahead of him. Barely realizing he was on the stairs, he hesitated on whether to continue up or run to his room. He was about to go with the latter when a body crashed into a wall in front of his eyes. It was Mom. 

_She was supposed to check on Five right?...Oh. OH._

By the time he connected the dots, it was too late. Five stood before him at the top of the stairs. He was fortunate that Five still had all of his clothes on. It looked like Five had attempted to take them off. The tie was pulled in all sorts of direction and the belt was halfway undone.

_We told him not to wear that. Look at where it got him. Stubborn bastard. Oh wait, that's not the main concern right now. Maybe he hasn't noticed me?_

His assumption was correct, Five didn't look his way. Instead, Five stood with arms crossed, glaring at Mom. He chose to take the chance to try and escape. Slowly going down the stairs, he kept his eye on Five, who was currently watching their mother fix her head back into place as she stood. He was glad that Five's attention was somewhere else. That didn't last long. He forgot about the areas of the stairs that creak. And he had just stepped on one. It groaned under his weight...he was ready to admit defeat. 

Five snapped his gaze over to him. A certain passion passed through Five's gaze when they made eye contact. He would never admit a pleasant shiver went down his spine because of it. He saw when Five finally recognized him, dashing down the stairs. He also saw their mother just barely miss grasping Five's arm. He sprung into action, turning around and sprinting down the stairs. He could feel Five at his heels. 

As soon as he reached the last step, he made a sharp turn and flung open the first door he saw, tossing himself inside. He then threw his weight against the door to keep it closed when Five shoved against it. It was proving difficult to hold shut as Five was using a lot of strength. 

Having a different perspective, he now cursed his father for placing the locks on the outside. There was no way for him to keep Five out. His only hope was that Mom will come and find them. He wasn't even sure where he was. He concluded that he should determine this first, perhaps he can use it to his advantage. Since he was pushing against the door with his back, he was able to look around the room he had entered. He wasn't surprised to see the room not lit but was stunned that it was almost pitch black. He could barely make out the room. Since he couldn't see anyone, he assumed it was empty. Even if he could feel eyes on him, he chalked it up to being paranoid since he always felt uneasy in the dark. Either way, he thanked his lucky stars that he was alone.

_Now, I have to decide the best course of action. I can't release my hold on the door or Five will barge in. Maybe this room holds something I can use. I can't recognize what area this is exactly but it should still hold something that can help me. Let's see...a mirror, cabinet, bed, red eyes, drawer, are those scissors- Wait, red eyes? Oh, for fuck's sake-_

His thoughts were cut off by a fierce growl. So the eyes he felt on him _were_ real. He really should learn to trust himself more. 

An alpha’s scent made its way to his nose. Diego smelt like the ocean, which surprisingly went well with the hint of steel in there. He didn’t even smell it before, which was amazing since it was so strong. He could only laugh in exasperation. Yet another predicament he found himself in, this one somehow the most disastrous. He loved his family, but he didn't want to see any of them after everything was over. 

Thumping his head against the door, he evaluated his circumstance.

_If the door opens, Five and Diego will kill each other. If I keep it closed, Diego will kill me. If I were to quickly leave and lock Diego in, Five will catch me...cool, so no good options. Where's Mom?! She was right behind us, wasn't she?...The universe hates me._

Since he didn't want to perish, he figured his best chance was with Five. He opened the door and flung himself out, pushing Five to the ground. He quickly closed and locked the door. Luckily, Diego didn't seem to care as no sounds came from the room. Now that he thought about it, shouldn’t he be worried about that? He didn't have time to decide when he felt someone wrap him in a back hug. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know it was Five. He could feel rumbles vibrating against his back. Five nuzzled into his neck. 

_Why me?_

Why not? 

_Not you-_

Why not?

_Shut up!_

Five suddenly pulled away. He was spun around and his chin was grasped, forcing him to look into Five's blue eyes. He saw Five examine him from head to toe, moving his head this way and that. It was starting to become uncomfortable for him until Five finally quit and leaned forward. Stopping with a small distance between them, Five sniffed the air. He could see the outrage rise in Five's eyes. He already knew why. He couldn't believe he forgot about the multiple scents on him again. He literally _just_ had this problem with all the others. Speaking of that, he had visited his _whole_ family (on accident), most of them being alphas. That means there are scents on him that _his_ alph-Five wouldn't appreciate. That was proving to be true when Five clutched his wrists and pinned him to a wall.

_Really? This again? Maybe remaining with Diego was the better alternative. Death doesn't seem so unpleasant anymore.....I'm so exhausted.........Mom, where are you?_

Why does it matter? 

_Shut-_

Why? 

_UP!_

He didn't want to risk aggravating Five further, so he let himself go slack. He was too worn to resist Five, the day's events finally catching up with him. He honestly couldn't do anything if he tried to, not that he did. He was irrational enough to let Five do whatever he wanted, no longer caring about the consequences. He trusted Five and did want to bond with him anyway. A dream come true. (Right?) So, when his alpha pressed their mouths together, he obediently followed their lead. 

The longer the kiss went on, the foggier his mind became.

Well? 

_S-shu-........._

Hmm? 

_........._

Huh. 

*

_Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine_

\--

Ben kept pliant while Five thoroughly kissed him. He continued like this even when Five broke them apart and started to scent him. Ben was rather satisfied with it as he purred deeply and moved his head to give Five more access. Five let out soft rumbles in return. He got lost in Ben's calming aroma. Yet, in his mind, he was quite furious that (his) Ben had scents of different alphas on him. He knew nothing happened between any one of them, but that didn't stop a possessive feeling from blossoming in his chest. To ease it, he made sure to drown Ben in his own scent. He would move on to bonding once that was done.

As he did so, Ben stayed completely still, having the sudden need to please Five. His mind completely blurry, he felt like something else was controlling him. Like he was a puppet, unable to control his limbs, having someone else do it for him without his consent. He could only revel in the pleasant feeling he got from being close to Five. 

\--

Not one of them startled at the sound of glass breaking in the room where Diego was held. They were too lost in their own world. They also never noticed their mother rushing past, barging into the door that stood beside them. Struggles echoed throughout the hall coming from an enraged alpha. It quickly stopped after a panicked yelp. Everything became silent as two figures walked out of the room, heading towards the infirmary. The smaller figure was thrown over the shoulder of the larger, being completely knocked out cold. The glint of a needle could be seen from the hand of the larger. They disappeared down the hall. After a couple of moments, one figure came out and walked towards the oblivious couple, flicking off the lights so that the shadows kept them hidden. 

The embracing duo remained unaware.

\--

Five was kissing along the column of Ben's neck, when he unexpectedly pulled away, gaze looking left and right. Ben let out a needy whine at that, clumsily reaching out his hand. Five grasped and kissed it in reassurance, but kept his eyes on the area around them. He couldn't see anything, but he had the disturbing feeling someone was watching them. Not wanting anyone else to see his mate this way, he removed his blazer and threw it over Ben's shoulders. He then proceeded to pick him up, bridal style, and carried him to his room. Ben lay limp in his arms, hands weakly wrapping around Five's neck. He buried his face against Five's scent gland and inhaled deeply. He was starting to become more disoriented due to the overwhelming smell, but he couldn't stop himself. Five didn't mind, kissing the top of Ben's hair in encouragement.

Their moment ended when a hand grasped Five's shoulder and tugged him backward. Five stumbled around before he regained his balance. Turning to the intruder, he was met with the frowning face of Grace. She glanced down at Ben and her frown became deeper. Five noticed where she was staring and brought Ben closer to his chest, attempting to conceal him. He let out fierce growls in warning. Grace paid him no mind as she promptly reached out and yanked Ben out of his arms. Five was too slow to stop her. Ben tumbled out of Five's arms and was guided to be next to Grace. Once she let go, he collapsed to the floor in a daze. He could only let out a pained groan before he fainted.

When Five saw Ben go still, fury swept through every vein in his body. He sent out vicious growls that would have left a normal person trembling with fear. Unfortunately for him, Grace was not normal. She was able to ignore Five's warning as she calmly walked up to him. At that, Five went into action, attacking her. However, his rage left him sluggish, no strategy behind his strikes. This let Grace steadily grab Five's arm and twist it behind his back. Five struggled against her before she injected a needle into his neck. He went still before slumping over.

Grace hummed in satisfaction as she took Five into her arms. She immediately locked him in his room before she went to help Ben. She plucked him off the floor and transferred him to the infirmary. When she walked in, she was greeted by the sight of Diego strapped down onto a bed, unmoving. She continued to hum as she placed Ben on another bed. Before she did so, she peeled off Five’s blazer and chucked it onto a chair. Then, she checked Ben’s vitals. Everything seemed fine with him. That left her a bit befuddled as she saw him oddly spaced out before. She hypothesized it was because of Five and his pheromones. She knew Ben would be overpowered by the full impact of it, especially with them seeing one another as mates. This is why she made an effort to keep them apart. Unfortunately, Five took her by surprise when she went to check on him and managed to escape. 

Ignoring the memory, Grace searched Ben for any signs of an injury. She found developing bruises on his wrists. Since they weren't swelling, she only placed ice on them, not being able to do much more. Once she deemed enough time had passed, she removed the ice and gently wrapped them. (This way he won't have to always stare at purple handprints.) Searching more, she discovered bandages on his ankles. They went down to his feet, so she took off his shoes to inspect them. As she removed them, she thought that the person who applied them did a fantastic job. Everything looked fine until the bandages at the bottom of Ben's feet started to turn a dark red.

It alarmed Grace, so she quickly cut through the bandages and placed them aside. She stared at the bottom of his feet and was shocked at the amount of blood that was leaking out of several lacerations. Taking a towel and applying pressure, she was bewildered at the sudden blood that spilled out. It turned out to be a great deal of it as the towel soon turned a deep red. Tossing it to the side, Grace grabbed another one to use. Before she could press it against his injuries, she watched in amazement as the blood halted in rushing out. In front of her eyes, the wounds started to heal themselves until his feet were empty of any flaws. She examined his wrists but found the bruises still there. Only his feet were healed. Not knowing what to make of this, she decided to dismiss it and disinfect the room. She also made sure to clean Ben before she left him to rest, turning the lights off as she walked out. She locked the door behind her.

What Grace didn't notice was Ben blinking his eyes open.

+

His bright eyes shone in the dark room as he let his gaze wander around. They fell to someone tied to a bed. He stared at them for a while before he sat up. Contorting a bit, he realized something about himself that put a hitch in his plans.

_Huh, how tragic._

......... 

_I'll deal with that another time._

Getting to his feet, he noticed a piece of clothing on a chair that was near him. He picked it up and was hit with an enticing smell. Knowing who it came from, he smirked and put it on. He was overcome with a possessive feeling. He wanted this person _all_ to himself. That's where his plan came in. To achieve it, he quickly moved on to the first objective that was perfectly presented to him. Remembering his problem, he decided to try a new tactic when he saw a cart with medical instruments next to him. Grabbing a scalpel, he stumbled to the figure and towered over them.

\--

No recognition passed through Ben's eyes as he stared at Diego. With malicious intentions, he raised his weapon in the air.

A menacing smile split across his face as he swung it down.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A cascade of crimson and a groan of agony resounded throughout the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ ???'s P.O.V.
> 
> Poor Ben just can't catch a break :|
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ~ XYZ


	8. The Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.
> 
> \-- Neutral P.O.V.

~

Slowly peeling his eyes open, all he could see was a blinding white. It took a second for him to realize it was a ceiling. 

His conscious cleared as he recognized he was on a floor...and in a different area than what he last remembered. Sitting up in a panic, he let his gaze wander around, trying to determine where he was. Seeing the medical equipment, he deduced he was in the infirmary. His breathing returned to normal as he tried to recall what happened that led him here. 

He couldn't remember anything past meeting Five's blue eyes and an immense feeling of contentment. He could vaguely remember loud growls before everything went dark. 

He tried to search his mind for an answer. However, the more he did, the more something slipped from his grasp. He could only assume that he had passed out. For quite a while too since it looked to be early dawn. The last time he happened to glance at a clock was when he put Allison’s dish away. It was past ten then. He’s been out for around a good eight hours. 

Groaning, he decided to put all that aside when he saw dark red spots staining the floor next to him. He recognized it to be blood. As he cautiously stood, he followed the trail with his eyes, to a bed. On it lay Diego, who was strapped down and unconscious. 

Blood stained Diego's clothes.

His heart sank as he rushed to the bed. When he towered over Diego, he immediately tried to scan for an injury. There was nothing noticeable. Believing that the wound was hidden underneath Diego’s outfit, he reached out to inspect. As soon as he did so, he noticed his left sleeve stained completely blood-red around the forearm, a gash running down it. He stared at it, confusion swelling in his mind. 

_I don't remember getting injured. And this isn’t my clothing, I lost my hoodie to Allison. I shouldn’t even have this on. Where did it come from?_

He wore the blazer from the academy uniform. 

His mind reeled with a foggy memory of someone tossing it over his shoulders and the complete sensation of being safe. Then, of himself putting it on with the single thought of _mine._ The memory left as soon as it came. 

He held his head as it throbbed with pain. He couldn’t understand what was happening until he caught a whiff of a familiar aroma. It came from the jacket. His mind raced before he came to the conclusion that the blazer was Five’s. He was still unsure why he had it, but he assumed that Five covered him with it for a reason. 

It was a pleasant smell, but there was another faint scent he didn’t recognize. Before he could speculate more on it, he was overwhelmed by the smell of metal. He ripped the blazer off of him, the odor of blood surfacing old memories that he desperately tried to forget. He threw it across the room as he fell to his knees from terror. Tightening his arms around himself, he got lost in the horrifying memories.

_Crimson Staining Every Wall. Limbs Flung Everywhere. Gazes of Fright. Desperate Pleas. Frantic Bargains. Piercing Screams. Eerie Silence._

He could feel the Horror squirm in delight at the tormenting reminders. He also felt his senses go haywire.

_Soaked Clothes. Malicious Caress. Satisfied Father. Heavy Heart. Wary Siblings. Unwashable Stains. Raw Skin. Agony. Hopeless Tears. Crimson. Darkness._

Just as he was receding into his mind, a flare of pain rushed up his left arm that drew him back into reality. He looked down to discover his nails had clawed down his arms, leaving pink lines in their wake. Releasing the tension within him, he examined his arm that had been in pain. 

Following his whole left forearm, from below his wrist to inner elbow, was a jagged cut. It looked like the work of someone hesitant. It was nearly healed, only a faint red scar revealing anything was there at all. 

_That explains the soaked sleeve. Wait-_

Jolting up, he looked over to Diego and realized that the blood was his own. While he was baffled at his current state, he was more thankful that Diego wasn’t hurt.

_At least one of us is okay...mostly._

Sighing in relief, he went to work on cleaning the blood off of him. He grabbed the necessary items and was about to begin when he noticed a bandage encircled his wrist. Actually, _wrists_ as he could see another bandage on his other arm. How he didn't notice before was beyond him. 

He unwrapped both of them. 

The bandages fell to the floor as the skin was revealed to his shocked eyes. Around both wrists were bruises in the shape of a hand. They were a fascinating faded purple. He blinked at them before another memory shot through him. This one of a figure pressing him against a wall with a firm grip on his wrists. Yet, he seemed pleased at it as he didn’t struggle against the person. This made sense as he thought back to when Five did so, once, during an escape. (If he wasn't panicking then, he would've enjoyed the act of dominance as well.) It would also clarify the appearance of the blazer. He easily concluded that Five was the one to cause the bruises. 

_Possessive idiot,_ he thought with a smile.

Since it was Five, he didn’t mind the bruises, rather enjoying the sight of them. He found them quite thrilling as they were a reminder of his alpha. And while he would love to have them on display forever, he knew Five would become hysterical at the sight, believing he had hurt him. Five wouldn’t listen to his reassurance that he truly didn’t mind. So, ultimately they would have to be covered. But, for now, he could leave them out. 

He focused on cleaning the blood off (and resisting the urge to rub his skin raw when he could still feel it on him). When finished, he glowed at the gorgeous markings. They were only a bit overshadowed by the multiple lines of scars along his arms. They made him look remarkably damaged. He couldn't have cared less though. 

He's had much worse. 

He would have to remember to cover them with makeup when everyone was sane again. The injuries won't heal in time and bandages were too prominent. Everyone would question him if he wore some. It would be best for them to never see the wounds. 

_It would be bad to worry them. Ughhh..._

Despite all of that, he was slowly piecing together the night before. 

Obviously, when he threw himself out of Diego's room, Five caught and pinned him to a wall. The sensation of pleasure was identical to how he felt with Five when his rut first started. Therefore, he knew Five had kissed him again. He assumed he fainted after that. And since he's not in Five's bed right now, Mom had saved him and brought him here. He's sure she examined him as he's missing the bandages on his feet. 

_They're perfectly healed. Mom must have really strong treatments for lacerations. I've never seen injuries heal so fast! There are not even any scars left behind! They're flawless._

(He beamed at that, not exactly yearning for scars on his feet.)

While he solved most of it, he knew he was missing an important fraction of the night. He only vaguely remembers throwing on Five's clothing. Anything beyond that was lost on him. And nothing explained the new cut on his left arm. There were too many weird layers to it.

First, the information that the person who caused it was reluctant in doing so. If that was the case then why did they bother to do it at all? 

Second, the looming question of who did so. No one was around besides him and Diego. No signs of a home invasion either. And he was sure the door was locked, Mom always did so when she left. He doubts someone came in that way without her knowledge. 

Third, the blood left on Diego's clothes. If only his blood was spilled, then how did it get on Diego? Diego was a good distance away from him, why bother traveling that distance? 

Fourth, the lack of a weapon. He couldn't find what had caused his wound, no equipment being stained with blood. He only knew it was caused by some sort of blade. However, that could be a million options, so it wasn't much help.

Fifth was the mysterious scent attached to Five's blazer. He was the only one who wore it, excluding Five, so he wasn't sure who left it behind. Or why they didn't wear scent blockers to help keep their identity secret. (He felt like the aroma was vaguely familiar, but he didn't know how.) 

Sixth, his practically healed wound. It occurred overnight since that sleeve was soaked in blood. Mom would've treated it if she was still there, so she had left before it happened. That means it's new, so how can it already be healed?

Lastly, the issue of whether both he and Diego were the target or if only he was. Diego was unharmed but the person must have been looming over him or there wouldn't have been blood there. So, there was malicious intent to injure Diego. Yet, as stated before, Diego wasn't harmed, only he was. 

_Was the culprit interrupted? By who? And why only slash my arm? If they wanted to torture me, they could have done so much more since I was unconscious. This wound is nothing, not even being good enough to be a warning message. It definitely won't haunt me, which should be the culprit's desire. It seems more like a last-ditch attempt at causing pain, which fell flat._

It didn't make sense and he was starting to go a little bit mental. That was put to an end when a sudden growl was heard beside him. He flinched back and watched Diego resist his restraints. The scent of a raging ocean wafted through the air. It indicated an angry alpha. He scrunched his nose at the smell.

_Looks like he's awake now._

A second later the click of a lock was heard and Mom walked into the room. She glanced at Diego before focusing her attention on him. Her eyes went to his injuries but she said nothing on them, instead, concentrating on a related issue.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay, just a bit exhausted."

"That's reasonable. You were exerting your energy the whole day. The incident with Five must have completely worn you out. You had me troubled when you fainted."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't expect for that to happen."

"I know, dear."

She walked over and gave him a kiss on his head. He smiled at that, feeling content at the care she was exhibiting. Another round of growls echoed through the room.

_Oh, yeah._

"Why is Diego tied up?"

"He broke his window yesterday in an attempt to get to Klaus. Fortunately, I was able to secure him inside with a sedative. Since his window was broken, I thought it best to contain him here for now."

"I see...so that's why he didn't promptly slaughter me when I was in his room."

"You went into his room? Didn't Five capture you?"

"Yeah he did, but before that, I was in Diego's room in an attempt to hide from Five. Obviously, I wasn't successful."

"Yes, I was a bit terrified I was too late in saving you."

He sent her an embarrassed smile before he glanced at the struggling alpha. He slightly laughed at the fact that Diego was fully clothed, just like Five was.

_We told them to not wear those complicated outfits. Idiots._

That stopped when he realized Diego was stained in blood. He hoped Mom hadn't noticed it. 

_At least it's somewhat concealed with Diego's red shirt and all his black clothing._

Said fact wasn’t very reassuring. 

He directed his gaze to wander across the room. He found the bloody blazer discarded in the corner of the room. He warily glanced at Mom and saw she was preoccupied with staring at his feet.

_Strange, but okay?_

He didn't want her to see all the disasters, it would raise too many questions. Ones he wouldn't have the answer to. He was sure she was already confused at the blood splatters left on the floor.

"Is Diego going to remain in this room?"

"No, I was able to restore his window. I reinforced it as well, so he will not be able to escape. I came in here to return him there. You should rest for now."

"Ah..." He glanced at the stained clothing again. "Is it fine if I return Diego and clean up here? I can head to my room after."

"Head to your room now, dear. I can deal with everything-"

 _"No!"_ He instantly yelped. Mom looked his way with a searching gaze. He let out a nervous cough. "Uh, I can do it, it's okay. I'm already here anyways and I want to help."

She studied him. He nervously twitched his fingers and hoped she didn't see his main concerns. After a few seconds of silence, she nodded her head and smiled at him. He watched as she promptly handed him a syringe and turned around. He assumed the needle was for Diego. He didn't know where she kept it. 

Before she fully left, she called out to him.

"Breakfast will be in two hours. Remember to be prepared for another round of surveillance."

"Yeah, of course…" He turned away until he recalled something. "Oh, thank you for healing the wounds on my feet."

He smiled at her. Her expression shifted into bewilderment. His smile fell a bit. It looked like she wanted to mention something. He could tell it was something unnerving by the look on her face. In the end, she simply nodded her head again and left.

He was confused but still let out a sigh of relief. She was finally gone.

 _I can't seem to catch a break._

Stalking over to Diego, he prepared to inject him with the needle. When Diego noticed, panicked shouts echoed throughout the room. The ocean scent spiked with fear. Ben sighed as he remembered Diego's phobia of needles. Apologizing in his mind, he quickly stuck the needle in Diego's neck. 

When Diego stopped moving, he realized he didn't acknowledge the liquid in the syringe. He let out a squawk of disbelief at being so reckless. He was trying to protect Vanya from this exact situation and here he was injecting Diego with an unknown substance. Smacking his head, he figured Diego could take it. Diego was a prideful alpha after all...he wasn't sure if that was good enough. It was too late to think anything else, so he sighed again. 

_You sure are one giant idiot, Ben._

Scolding himself, he proceeded to release Diego. He had to try different methods of bringing Diego where he wanted. 

It ended up taking him a good hour to return Diego to the room. 

When he finally got to the destination, he collapsed on Diego's floor, right next to the unconscious alpha. He let out harsh pants as he tried to regain his energy. He looked around the room and noticed that it was now slightly bright due to sunlight peeking through the black curtains. He was able to see the room now. It was surprisingly clean. He couldn't tell if that was because of Mom or if Diego was too preoccupied with escaping. Letting out a huff of laughter, he removed all but Diego's boxers. He figured he could hide the clothes until he thought of how to dispose of them.

As he was walking out the door, he noticed articles of clothing from his peripheral vision. Turning his head, he was faced with a mountain of clothes. It emitted a powerful scent of salt-water.

_He should clean that. I'll remind him of it when I get the chance._

Staring at the mountain, he suddenly thought of Klaus. 

A plan came to mind. 

He was glad Diego was unconscious, so he could execute it. Running to his room, he deposited the bloody clothes on his bed. Then, he grabbed a laundry basket and rushed back to Diego's room. As soon as he entered, he made his way to the pile and threw all of it into the basket. When he was finished he left and locked the door behind him. He walked towards Klaus' room. When he entered, he was smacked with the scent of fruits. Ignoring it, he went up to the disoriented Klaus and dumped the pile of clothes onto him. Klaus let out a squeak of surprise before recognition passed through his emerald eyes. The surprise faded into joy as Klaus rushed to situate Diego's clothing around the nest. He heard Klaus' purrs of contentment and beamed with accomplishment as he left.

 _Klaus should be lucky he has an incredible brother like me,_ he thought with an amused smirk.

The combined scents of the two reminded him of a beautiful beach resort.

\--

Grace stepped into the infirmary when she confirmed Ben was gone. She had the feeling that he was attempting to hide something. It wasn't hard to see as her son wasn't too good an actor. She shook her head fondly as she thought he at least obeyed her orders, like with Vanya's medication. 

She let her eyes wander around before they came across Five's blazer in the corner of the room. She frowned as she knew she had placed it on the chair before she left the room last night. She was unsure why it was there, but assumed Ben had tossed it. There was nothing discernable on it. She thought that perhaps nothing was happening. The only unusual event she could recall was Ben's belief that she healed him. She didn't understand why when he had healed himself. She thought nothing of it but made a mental note to inform Reginald once he returned.

Oh, and of course the blood spots on the floor. She thought that was also odd. However, she believed that she must have missed those spots last night. It was fairly dark after all. 

Humming to herself, she walked back to the kitchen to make breakfast.

She missed the stained crimson sleeve that was conveniently hidden from her view.

~

Entering the infirmary once more, he immediately sought out to clean the floor. He made sure to leave the whole room spotless. When that task was completed, he turned to the discarded item. Grabbing the blazer, he made sure it left no stains behind and walked to his room. 

Not completely knowing what to do with all the bloody clothing, he decided to toss them in a box. Before he closed it, he sprayed the clothes with A scent neutralizer spray he had found in the infirmary. It would keep anyone from finding it. He then closed and put it underneath his bed. 

Feeling content at this, he determined he had time to change outfits before facing his siblings again. He opened his closet and was met with a muddle of yarn. It was his previous birthday project for Five. It completely slipped his mind that he had planned to make a sweater. He realized that he could complete this project now that he had the time (and silence) to do so. He was positive he could finish it by the time Five's rut was over. Then it would be a nice gift to go with his confession to Five. 

Beaming at his idea, he threw on some new clothes (a neon orange spliced sweater and black sweatpants) and made his way to the kitchen. 

\--

Surveying the others was effortless this time compared to last. This was mostly because Ben only checked on his predetermined siblings rather than the whole family. 

It was a nice task.

Klaus was overjoyed at being surrounded by Diego's scent, so it was easier for him to move. This meant Ben got him to eat quicker. Then, Ben was able to get Vanya clothing from everyone in the family. She was pleased with said fact...but he continued to have to make a deal with her as she managed to trap him again. He didn't know how she became so strong. (That was the only time the Horror relentlessly moved. It was motionless otherwise.) The deal consisted of her inhaling his scent. Ben was also able to grab articles of clothing from Luther for Allison. In turn, he was given back his hoodie that reeked of flowers. (He wasn't happy about that but could only sigh and wash it.) As the day went on, Ben stole clothing from Klaus and Allison. He was able to convince Grace to give them to their mates for comfort.

_("And for Five?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"Nothing?"_

_"He doesn't deserve it," Ben said with a scowl._

_Grace chuckled at his words. Then, in a split second, she tore his sweater off of him. Ben looked on in shock as Grace took off with his clothing, humming to herself. He stood, bare-chested, until he shouted and raced after her, wanting his comfy sweater back._

_...he never got it back as it was already in Five's possession. He pouted for an hour as he changed once again. Grace giggled each time she saw him, making sure to ruffle his hair._

_Ben sure hoped Five enjoyed that aroma, he wasn't going to let Five scent him when this was over.)_

When he wasn't checking on them, Ben was working on completing the sweater for Five. 

There wasn't another catastrophe and the days continued to pass by smoothly. 

(During everything, he made sure Vanya stayed off her medication.)

\--

As the days went on, the others were starting to gain some control over themselves. This meant he was able to hold small conversations with them before he left. It also meant he had to start applying makeup on his bruises so that no one got suspicious. He made sure to constantly fix them, wanting to get used to doing so for later. It was tiresome to continue with, but Ben kept to it. Thankfully, the scarred lines faded by then, leaving only the line on his forearm. 

Weirdly enough, the bruises weren't fading or healing. He knew they should be at least changing colors, but they remained purple. They even became a deeper color than before. It didn't make sense and nothing he did improved their condition. He contemplated going to Grace for help but decided against it. He wouldn’t want to worry her...or for her to ask questions. 

Since he didn't want to drive himself insane, he tried not to focus on the odd event.

\--

On the fourth day of the other's cycles, Ben was finished with his project. The sweater came out nicely, being a mix of navy blue and black. It showcased a small version of the solar system across the chest. It was drenched in his scent (which he knew Five would appreciate). This way, Five would have part of Ben with him...and some casual clothes to wear. Ben thought that maybe then he wouldn’t complain.

As the sun was at its highest point, he sat on his bed and admired his work. He hummed to himself and neatly folded his creation into a cutely decorated box. He made sure to securely seal it off, so the scent would remain preserved. He put said object under his bed for safekeeping. As he did so, he came across a different box that was larger. 

Even after these past few days, he was unsure what to do with its contents. He wanted to trash them but knew Diego would go crazy if he lost those pieces of clothing. They were his favorite outfit. Ben wouldn't know how to explain to Diego what happened. And he wouldn't be able to watch Diego become obsessed over solving the mystery. He could wash the blood off of them, but he hadn’t had the chance. Also, he wasn’t sure how to do that, so it wasn’t a good option. 

Ben made a mental note to learn how to do so for Diego’s sake.

But that would be later, for now...

Ben puffed out his cheek as he thought about his predicament. He sat there for a while before he realized that lunch was coming up. Getting to his feet, he had the sudden urge to wear a specific outfit. Walking to his closest, he took out the academy's pristine uniform. He looked at the outfit with disgust. He would need to wear it again eventually. Forcing himself to put it on, he went towards the kitchen. 

On his way there, he was overcome with a sense of foreboding. 

Ben paused at the entrance of the kitchen as the feeling grew stronger. Just thinking about walking inside gave him heart palpitations. Cold sweat ran down his neck as his limbs wouldn't move. He trembled in place.

It took all his will to force his feet to move. He walked inside and held his breath as he quickly surveyed the area.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. 

Grace was making lunch and humming to herself. No one else was in the room. Everything was in its rightful place. Sharply exhaling, Ben looked over the room, three- four- five times before he determined he was fine. He questioned his unusual behavior, not understanding why his body reacted that way. 

Reluctantly, he shrugged it off and sat at the table...which was empty. He couldn’t wait to have his family near him again.

Sighing, he waited for Grace to finish. The delicious scent of food bombarded his senses. There was another weird agent thrown in the mix but he couldn't tell what it was. Thinking he was paranoid, Ben let his mind wander to his case of amnesia from days prior. He's been trying to solve that portion of the night all this time, but couldn't piece anything together. 

~

_I have zero clues about that night...Hmm, I suppose I should dismiss the case by now...but there's too much about it that I need to know. I don't understand the situation that night. For some reason, I know it has to do with my seemingly permanent bruises._

I wouldn't say that. 

He grew still at the voice. These past few days, it’s been completely silent. He thought it had disappeared. Obviously, he was wrong. He couldn’t help but wish he wasn't.

_You're back._

Never left. 

_Well, you were gone for a fairly long time._

Wasn't my fault. 

_What do you mean?_

Well-...... 

_Hello?_

...... 

_Fine._

Silence once more.

He ruffled his hair in frustration, not knowing what to make of the voice. At that moment, Mom announced her completion of lunch. He grinned at her happy tone and grabbed a plate for himself. As he did so, he noticed she had made an extra plate. Thinking nothing of it, he ate in contentment, humming along with Mom. When he was done, he got to his feet and put his plate in the sink. 

Knowing the routine, he grabbed food for Klaus and left. Before he could fully exit, Mom grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He was barely able to move the plate from being knocked out of his hands as he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Mom held him close and caressed the back of his head. While he enjoyed the motherly love from her, he was more bemused at the bizarre action. 

_This is unexpected. Is she alright?_

He never got to ask as Mom whispered soft words into his ear and released him. He wasn't able to make out the words but still beamed at her and made his exit. He could feel her grim gaze on his back. 

_("Forgive me.")_

Another sense of doom swept across him the farther he walked away. He thought how odd it was for Mom to hug him like that. It was almost as if she was desperate for something. 

He didn't know what.

As he was getting close to Klaus' room, he felt himself grow anxious. His hair stood on end and he felt a shiver run down his spine. He didn't know what was wrong as goosebumps formed.

_Is there something wrong with me? Maybe I should-_

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. It was a heavy weight and a tight grip.

He didn't turn around but could feel a menacing presence behind him. Soon, a familiar scent wafted through the air. It was powerful and demanded respect. It only took him a second to recognize it. Once he did...

_N-no._

His heart stopped.

.

.

.

"Number Six, what do you think you are doing?"

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for Reginald?! (I just realized I never mentioned his scent...oops?)
> 
> ...Ben isn't ajajsjk
> 
> (I'm writing the next chapter and I already feel bad for poor Ben D:)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! ~ XYZ


	9. The Return of the Tyrant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.
> 
> \-- Neutral P.O.V.

\--

The sound of glass shattering resounded throughout the halls.

\--

If there was one thing the Hargreeves children knew about their father; it was that he absolutely despised betas. 

They had no idea why this was. Omegas were (supposedly) the weakest. So, if anything, they should be the ones hated. But, they weren't...at least not by Reginald.

There was nothing wrong with betas, well not anything the children could discover. Betas were just normal people, living their life day by day. But, perhaps them being so common is what caused his passion against them. 

After all, he preferred the extraordinary over the ordinary. 

Therefore, it was no surprise that he expected his children to end up as alphas. They all had powers that would enhance their secondary genders, leaving no room for doubt that they would end up as alphas. 

(Of course, this was before they started to talk and develop their personalities.)

As the children grew up, Reginald realized that not all of them would end up as alphas, some of them would turn up as omegas. And even if omegas are the weakest of the secondary genders, it was better than betas for him. In fact, it would be easier to control them that way, so omegas were practically welcomed by him.

No one ever considered the fact that one of them could (and would) end up as the subgender their father despised.

~

He had accidentally let go of the plate in his hands due to his shocked horror. It was now a mess on the floor. He worriedly thought that Mom would need to make more food now. That concern transformed into a new one when he thought about how Father would punish him. It struck more terror through him. 

He struggled to breathe as he could feel his father's gaze on him. He could slightly smell the change in his own dull scent.

_I'm so screwed._

During these past few days, time flew by and he forgot about his father's return. Therefore, he never prepared himself for the inevitable fury upon his father’s arrival. He wasn't even sure what the results would be. He was honestly hoping Father wouldn't return until after everyone was sane. That way he wouldn't have the sole attention on himself. 

_I should have known that nothing ever goes my way._

Faith squashed, he hesitantly turned around, the grip falling from his shoulder. He was met with piercing eyes and a scowl. A shiver ran down his spine.

"Well?" His father hissed, impatient for an answer.

He struggled to form a sentence as his mind went blank from fear. Father raised an eyebrow. The scent of mahogany and ink spiked for a second. In reaction, he automatically stood straighter and opened his mouth.

"Uh, um…" He panicked with the more time he took to reply. "I-I was going to check on Klaus. He needs to ea-"

"Yes, I can clearly see that."

"Then-"

"Why are you not in your room?"

"Why would I need to be?"

Father stared at him, seeming to be searching for something. The perceptive gaze transformed into disgust. It clicked in Ben’s mind a second later and he realized his mistake. 

_Oh, shit._

“I...Yes, of course...I need to...I should go there now-”

He was cut off when his head was flung to the side. Heat rushed to his cheek as it throbbed with pain. He raised his hand to hold it as he turned back to his father. His eyes widened with shock.

He was just slapped.

“Don’t lie, Number Six.”

“I-”

“I’m quite disappointed in you.”

“Father-”

“Say nothing else.”

His jaw snapped shut on instinct and he looked to the floor. He could feel his father’s fury expand the longer the silence went on. He wasn’t sure what to do. No one was here to help him. Not that it would matter; it was too late. 

He wanted to _cry._

_Shit._

A hand abruptly grasped his wrist and forcefully dragged him away from Klaus’s room. He panicked, needing to make sure Klaus was okay before he went anywhere. That’s why he dismissed his father’s orders. 

“No, wait!” He tugged on his wrist in an attempt to break free. It didn’t work, the grip was too strong. “I need to make sure Klaus-”

“Number Four can take care of himself.”

“But he’s-”

Father snapped his head to him. The grip turned painful. He closed his mouth and glanced away. He was again led down the hall. This time, he silently followed after his father’s footsteps, head bowed down.

While they were walking, he saw heels pass by. Bringing his gaze up, he looked behind him.

_No way._

He saw Mom walk away from them with the extra plate of food in her hands. She kept a solemn expression as she steadily made her way to Klaus’s door. She walked into the room, a smile suddenly adorning her face.

She never glanced his way.

He realized that she knew what would happen. 

He couldn't help the pang of betrayal that surged through him as he shot the closed-door an icy glare.

\--

Klaus was feeling more coherent than usual as he waited for Ben to arrive. He knew it would be soon as Ben dutifully entered at the same time every day. 

Klaus wanted to enjoy his moment of clarity by having a nice conversation with Ben. It kept him sane as he was stuck in his room for more days to come. It also helped his omega from being too lonely at the lack of his alpha.

He slightly hummed to himself as his emerald eyes stared at his ceiling. He could smell his own scent and couldn't help but laugh. Of course, this is what it would be. He was sure to get in trouble later, but he couldn't bother with that at the moment. He thought it was very unique and amazing.

...Ben wouldn't agree with him. 

He could see Ben shift each time he smelled him, probably not quite used to it. Klaus knew he would get scolded by him when he was sane. Ben would come around though, he always did when it came to family.

(Klaus wondered if Diego would like it, but paused on that thought when he felt his omega whine.)

He was enjoying his and Diego's mixed scents (He'll make sure to thank Ben for everything once his heat was over) when he heard a commotion outside his door. He thought he could smell a very faint distressed aroma. But his room consisted of his scent, so it could’ve been his imagination. If anything, he figured Ben was struggling with something. 

He sighed. 

Ben sometimes was a klutz at the _worst_ moments. Especially now, when Klaus was _starving._ He patiently (not really) waited for Ben to come in.

Finally, (after _years,)_ he heard the door open.

Sitting up, he swung his head towards it, smiling wide as he expected to see the face of his favorite brother. He couldn't wait to tell Ben that-

His smile fell when he saw someone else enter. Instead of an exasperated Ben, he was greeted with the sight of a cheery Grace. 

Don't get him wrong, he loved his mom (not as much as Diego), but he was hoping to chat to Ben. And _only_ Ben.

Grace tilted her head at his new expression. Not wavering, she went towards his side. The smile remained as she questioned him.

"Is something wrong, Klaus?"

Not wanting to hurt Grace's feelings, Klaus forced a smile onto his face. It ended up small and wary, but he tried his best.

"Oh, no...I was just expecting to see Ben that's all." Her smile twitched. He grew skeptical. "Where is he?"

"..."

"Mom?"

Silence.

Klaus grew uneasy the longer it continued. Grace was taking way too long to reply. And the smile she kept on her face was unnerving.

Grace was aware of her prolonged answer...but she wasn't sure how to lie to her son. She could tell he truly wanted to see his brother. While she wanted to tell him the truth, she knew Ben wouldn't want Klaus to worry about _that._ (She also thought back to Reginald’s words and any truthful words died on her tongue.)

"Ben wasn't feeling very well today, so I had him stay in bed to rest." She calmly informed him, placing the food in his lap.

"He wasn't...Is he okay?" He replied, worry rising in his eyes.

"Yes, of course. You will be able to see him when he's better."

"When will that be?"

"I'm not sure."

"Oh..."

Klaus blankly stared at his food, not moving to eat. Grace noticed and grew a bit confused.

"Why aren't you eating? Do you not like what I've prepared today?"

Klaus glanced up at Grace before he looked back to the food. His mind flashed to images of a smiling Ben, holding his hand up high for Klaus, a fork in his grasp. It took a while for Klaus to respond.

"No, everything's fine...it's just that...Ben always fed me the food..."

Grace blinked at Klaus. He didn't notice as he kept his gaze on the plate. His expression turned glum. Grace faltered at that.

"I see…" She wanted Klaus to feel happy, not sad. "I could feed you as well."

She grabbed the fork from the plate. Klaus winced at that and rapidly took it from her.

"Ah, no, it's okay, Mom. I'm fine. I can do it." He said with a smile.

"Oh, okay then." She smiled back. 

They sat in silence as Klaus finished his food. He made sure to do so as fast as he could. He was starting to feel awkward with Grace next to him. He didn't know why.

Grace never noticed, quietly humming as she waited. She also never noticed how Klaus grew distressed at the noise, scent turning a bit sour. Or how the room grew tense.

For the first time, Klaus was wishing to be alone. He knew he would regret it later, but the tension was suffocating him. He needed Grace out of his room. Again, he didn't know why. Klaus just had a feeling that something was wrong. Especially with what she told him.

Ben was stubborn and would never have let a minor illness stop him from being progressive...or from making sure that Klaus was okay.

Grace was lying to him. 

"Is there anything else you need?" Grace asked when she noticed Klaus had finished.

Klaus barely restrained himself from blurting out that he wanted to know where Ben truly was.

"No." He said, instead, through gritted teeth.

Grace took his dirty plate and walked to the door. Before she could fully exit, Klaus asked her a question.

"Mom, are you _sure_ Ben will be alright?"

Grace halted in her steps at the question. Klaus couldn't see the grim expression that appeared across her features. She didn't turn around as she answered.

"He will be..." She whispered her next word. "...eventually."

Klaus was barely able to catch that last part. Alarms went off in his head as he opened his mouth. Before he could ask Grace what she meant, she was already out the door and closing it behind her. The sound of a lock resounded in his silent room.

Klaus was left alone with his thoughts. He tried to understand what his mother meant but nothing made sense. He knew he needed to figure it out fast because _soon_ he would be overcome with desire. 

His thoughts raced with explanations for Ben's strange disappearance. He thought back to the commotions he had heard moments earlier. He was slowly reaching an unfavorable conclusion. It was close to clicking in his mind.

Could it be that-

"Soon" came quickly, cutting him off. He could feel the telltale signs of another wave of his heat. Pressure surrounded his mind as it slowly went empty of any thought. He could feel a warmth encompass his body, more slick leaking out of him. 

His mind became hazy, vision doing the same. 

Seconds later, he forgot all about Ben as he focused on his body's urges.

(When the time came, he would remember this moment and regret not doing something then.)

~

_Fuck._

He very much wanted to curse at the world for being so cruel. However, he wasn't able to achieve anything as he was dragged along the halls by his father. The only consolation he had was...

...well, nothing.

He wasn't able to think of an optimistic outlook on his situation.

Again, he wanted to cry. Actually...

He wanted _Five._

He was positive that Five would be a great support to have at the moment. There was no doubt in his mind that Five would develop a plot to assist him. Five always went above and beyond when it came to helping him. He could feel longing wash over him. 

_I miss him. It's been too long._

They were an inseparable duo. One typically wouldn't be seen without the other. They always were together. Always. And he loved it that way. And yet, here he was: alone. Well not entirely. The hand on his wrist reminded him of his intimidating company.

_Don't panic._

He wished Five could save him. That Five would thwart the torture he knew he was going to be subjected to. Not that that would happen. Five was trapped. He was on his own. That didn't stop him from imagining he would be rescued. It was nice to picture. 

_I can do this._

He resorted to mentally preparing himself as he was pulled to a stop in front of his father's office. Fighting a sigh, he willingly stepped inside.

_I can do this!_

\--

Vanya let out soft pants as she laid on her bed. These past few days have been very exhausting for her. She wasn't sure if she would be able to survive the rest of her heat. It was all too much. She's never experienced something as strenuous as this.

The only consolation Vanya had were the encouraging words she received from Ben.

And his comforting scent.

Vanya knew she wasn't attracted to Ben in any way, but his scent made her feel safe. That's why she demanded to inhale a good amount every time Ben came around. She hoped he didn't take it the wrong way. It was very sudden and uncharacteristic of her, but she couldn't help it. Ben was the only comfort she had. (Well, mostly. Vanya had the scents of her other family members, but those were starting to fade. Besides that, Ben was the only one that was able to communicate with her.) It wasn't as if she was usually clingy, so she was sure Ben let it slide. Especially if it was for those he cared about. The first person on that list was, undoubtedly, Five, followed by Klaus.

Just like Klaus to Ben, Vanya was very close to Five. She almost knew him as well as Ben did. (Well she liked to believe that, she honestly wasn’t sure.) After all, Vanya was the only company Five could stand. That meant, they would normally socialize with one another. Thus, she knew Five was in love with Ben. She was aware of said fact because Five had confided in her about it before. 

Vanya remembers Five's fond look as he confessed his emotions towards Ben. Five described his love in an incredibly poetic manner. It was said in a way that allowed her to feel the amount of passion he kept contained. Vanya also remembers his grim eyes as he told her the reason he had yet to do anything: Five didn't want to ruin his current relationship with Ben. They were best friends and Five wouldn't let that be demolished. He _couldn't_ let that be destroyed. It was his greatest source of happiness. 

Vanya surmised that Ben had the same train of thought. She deduced this when she determined the feelings were reciprocated. It was obvious to her with the way they acted like a married couple. They did everything together. She wondered if she was the only one who had noticed. Klaus could be aware...but Klaus was, well, _Klaus._ Therefore, Vanya wasn't able to tell if he knew. Not that it mattered. It wouldn't contribute much support as it would be difficult for anyone to conceive a plan. Both, Ben and Five, were stubborn as hell. Neither would confess unless the other did first.

Vanya recalls constantly attempting to encourage Five to confess his love. Especially when they would enjoy each other's company. Five would (surprisingly) talk about his emotions and Vanya used it as a chance to persuade him. It never worked. She refused to give in, however. So did Five. This is why she wasn't surprised they weren't together. 

Vanya knew they would be one day...but that day could be years from now. Vanya really hoped they got their courage soon. She wanted them to be happy.

As for now, Vanya could attempt to try something new. She had more time to talk to Ben alone. She believed that perhaps she could convince Ben to confess. She had a better chance with him than with Five. 

Just as she was plotting out a way to get Ben to agree, her door opened. She swung her head in its direction. Her hopes of persuading Ben vanished when her violet eyes saw Grace walk inside the room. Confusion took its place.

"Mom? Where's Ben?" Vanya asked as she sat up.

"Ben wasn't feeling very well today. I thought it was best for him to stay in bed and rest." Grace answered.

Vanya blinked at Grace. Since she didn't know Ben as well as Klaus did, she wasn't able to detect the lie. So, Vanya nodded her head in acceptance at the words. 

Grace was glad about that. She wouldn't want another one of her children to become skeptical.

"For how long?" Vanya asked.

She needed the information to see if she could still enact her plan. 

"I'm not sure," Grace replied.

That didn't help Vanya, so she assumed she would have to dismiss her idea.

"Will he be okay?" Vanya.

"Of course, dear. Ben is a strong boy and will be just fine." Grace.

Grace smiled at her daughter. Vanya returned the gesture.

(In her bleak mindset, regarding Ben's predicament, Grace neglected to ensure Vanya took her medication.)

~

_I can't do this._

He had this thought as he sat across from his father. They were silently staring at each other. His father had his hands interlaced on the desk and was calmly staring at him. What frightened him about that was the frosty rage that coated his father's eyes. He could only sit patiently and wait for the fury to (inevitably) make itself known with words. 

He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he waited. That only encouraged the wrath.

"Quit that incessant noise."

His fingers halted on their own as he obeyed the order. He uncomfortably shifted in his seat as he moved his gaze to the desk in front of him. 

Another bout of silence.

_I'm done with everything always being quiet. I can't wait to have my rambunctious family back. They'll make sure there's never a dull moment._

He fought a soft smile from curving his lips.

_Only a couple more days. Then I can be with them once more._

"Would you care to inform me as to why your siblings are in their rooms?" His father asked.

He drew his gaze up and blinked at his father, eyebrows furrowing. He was a bit confused at the sentence. He thought it was obvious.

"...they're in their ruts and heats?" He replied.

He wasn't sure why he phrased it as a question. It was abundantly clear that's what was happening, but that's probably why he was hesitant. If it was so clear, then what did his father not comprehend?

"And why are you sitting in front of me?" 

"Oh, uh..." 

_Oh, so, that's it. Well, fuck._

"Well?" His father urged.

"...I'm not like them." 

He knew what his father wanted to hear but he didn't want to say it. 

"How exactly are you not like them?"

Of course, he had to. It never mattered what he wanted. Not in this household.

"B-because I'm a...b-beta." He reluctantly replied.

Silence.

It was so quiet that he was sure he could hear his heartbeat. Or perhaps it was just beating too loud and fast. Either one was extremely possible. 

The point was that it was too quiet.

He knew this was the expected response, but he wished it wasn't. The silence was worse than an outrage of words. Not that that would ever occur. His father was always composed.

_Say something already._

The suspense was killing him.

_Tell me what a failure I am. How I cause you great shame. Great disappointment._

So was his father's icy gaze.

_And whatever other insults you always manage to come up with._

Which he had the pleasure of beholding.

_...nevermind, don't say anything. Silence is good. It's great actually. Let's remain like this._

The silence was broken.

He restrained a miserable sigh.

"Are you aware of what I loathe with every fiber of my being?" His father questioned.

"Betas?" He responded.

"Do you know why?"

"No?"

"Why are you replying in a confused manner? Give me a distinct answer. Do you or do you not?"

"No."

His father raised an eyebrow at him. He nervously twiddled his thumbs.

"I despise them because of their normality in this world. They offer no development in the progress humanity seeks." His father declared.

He didn't like those words. They hurt his heart.

"They can help like alphas and omegas-" He tried to defend before he was interrupted.

"I disagree. Alphas are strong and dominant. They contribute greatly to society as they are able to lead the way in evolution. They are even able to support their family in every way." His father stood up and walked over to a bookshelf. "Omegas are fertile and submissive. They can birth many new generations to the world that will lead to more advancement. Additionally, they offer strong genes when combined with those of an alpha's. Tell me, what are betas capable of?"

"T-they can do all of that and-" He weakly insisted.

"No. No, they can't. Even if they had the ability to accomplish a fraction of what alphas and omegas can, they wouldn't be able to achieve it as properly."

It seemed like his father miraculously found a new way to insult him.

Perfect.

_He can't be correct...can he?_

It's not like he wanted to believe his father's words. They were simply difficult to ignore. After all, he still held admiration toward the person who gave him a "home." He took every word to heart. In his eyes, his father was always right. He didn't have anyone else to declare otherwise. No one...expect Five. Maybe he should start listening to Five's words instead. They didn't tear him down or make him hate himself. 

"T-that's _not_ true-" He tried to say.

"It isn't? Then, answer me this: What betas were ever able to accomplish something significant?"

"Well...w-well..."

"You aren't able to respond?"

"...n-not at the moment-"

"That's because not one of them was vital enough to leave an impact."

His father grabbed two books and came to stand in front of him, not handing the objects over. He couldn't see the titles, but the books looked old. He wasn't sure if he should be curious about their contents or not. 

"Can you think of a well-known alpha?" He could. "Or an omega?" He could do that as well. He could think of multiple figures for both. His father knew this. "Perhaps both?"

"..."

His silence was enough for his father who smugly continued.

"My point exactly."

With those words, his father placed the first book down on the desk. It was spun and pushed in his direction. He was finally able to read the title. He raised an eyebrow when he did as he glanced up. Then, he cautiously opened the book at the insistence of his father.

What he saw left him speechless.

He flipped through multiple pages. The more he did, the more flabbergasted he became.

_What?_

The title read: The Importance of Betas. 

And the book...

...was _blank._ Completely empty. Page after page of barren paper. No words were written. No picture printed. Nothing. Zilch.

He realized the point of it. Once he did, he wanted to burn the book (and the person who wrote it).

"It's blank." He commented, not looking up.

"Naturally. There is no importance to betas."

He glared at the desolate book before another one was placed in his view. He already didn't want to open it when he read the title. It wouldn't lead to anything worthwhile.

The title read: Role of a Beta.

At his lack of movement, his father opened the book for him, darting to a specific page. He reluctantly read the passage he was directed to. He couldn't believe his eyes. Yet, he could feel insecurity claw at his mind the more he read. 

The phrases written were all degrading betas. Word after word explained the insignificance of them. How they lacked to offer any importance to society. 

_Did Father write this? Or does everyone think this way?_

He wouldn't know. He was rarely allowed to go out. He wasn't even in contact with most of the outside world. Who knew what they believed.

And yet...

_Maybe...?_

He couldn't help but see himself as the words described. He didn't offer much to the Academy. He couldn't control his powers. He wasn't too good at combat. As Luther had said a while back, he was always in the background. He wasn’t important. He was always supported by his family. Especially Five, who would protect him all the time. He always believed that he wanted that to happen, so he happily accepted the help. But now...could it be that he _needed_ the help? Was he not able to help himself? Was he truly useless? 

_If everyone...Could these words be...accurate?_

Maybe. 

"Do you comprehend, Number Six?"

_They couldn't be true. And yet..._

And yet? 

"Number Six."

_It would only make sense._

It would. 

He felt his head rush forwards as it made contact with the desk. His vision went blurry for a second before he got a hold of himself. He could feel a powerful grip on the back of his neck. He knew he wouldn't be able to break free of it. He wouldn't be able to do anything. No, he _couldn't._

He _was_ useless.

_They are true._

They have to be. 

_"Number Six-"_

_"Yes."_

"Yes?"

"I understand now, Father."

The force holding him down disappeared and he was allowed to sit up. He didn't, however, keeping himself slumped over the desk as he stared at the books. Tears gathered in the corner of his eyes, but he tried not to let them fall. The blurry words carved themselves into his heart.

He believed his father once more.

"And?"

"Betas are worthless."

"Correct. And would you remind me what your status is?" 

"A beta."

"What would that imply?"

 _"I'm_ worthless."

He believed it. He believed it with all of his heart. Why else would he be so weak? He would never be as accomplished as his siblings. 

There was no other explanation.

"Precisely. Now you can see my complications." He nodded at his father’s words. It must be difficult to have a son like him. "You must train more diligently now. Your siblings are already greatly exceeding you. This only leaves you farther behind. I expect you to become somewhat equal. Or you will be another pawn for them to use, however."

He tensed at that, sitting straight before he sharply agreed.

(He couldn't see the self-satisfied smirk that graced Reginald's face.)

"Excellent. We shall begin now then. I already have a new method to improve your inadequate qualities."

He pushed away his fear (and hurt) at those words. He didn't want to prove his father right. He could be strong. 

Sure. 

He _could._

He stood up and followed his father out of the office.

(Still, he couldn't help but think about his family. He impatiently awaited their reunion.

_Only a couple more days.)_

\--

Allison lay curled against the wall as she tried to gain her energy back. She felt better knowing Luther was on the other side. He was close enough and she supposed it would do. (Even if she wanted him closer.) 

As Allison rested, she thought back to the past few days. A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of sweet Ben. He had been very caring towards her, helping out whenever. She knew it was hard for him to do so as he was also battling himself. 

Allison knew that being a beta would be tough in this family. She hoped they could help Ben with anything. Reginald won't be kind.

Now that Allison was on the topic of Reginald, she wondered when he would return. She thought back and realized it should be soon. In fact, he could already be-

Her thoughts were cut off as her door squeaked open. Allison sat up and moved her pink eyes to the noise. What she saw surprised her.

Rather than a depleted Ben stood a merry Grace. Allison raised an eyebrow at Grace's innocent smile. When Grace fully entered, Allison glanced behind her, waiting for Ben to appear. It was clear that he wasn't going to when Grace closed the door behind her. Allison threw her eyes back to Grace looking lost.

Grace only felt a little worn at having to repeat herself. She knew her children would all be curious, especially those who were attended to by Ben. Therefore, she kept her joyful mindset as she answered Allison's unspoken question.

"Ben wasn't feeling very well today. I had him rest in bed."

Allison blinked at those words, slightly shocked that Ben got ill. But she thought nothing of it as she sighed. 

"Will he be alright?" Allison asked.

"Certainly, don't worry," Grace replied.

Allison nodded in approval.

Grace smiled widely at that.

.

.

.

Luther and Diego remained unaware of the sudden shift. 

~

_At least I was able to eat._

That was the only thing he could think as he followed a familiar path behind his father. 

He should've expected to be forced to practice immediately upon his father's return. Not that it bothered him, he _did_ need to train more if he wanted to prove himself useful. The beliefs revealed to him stayed imprinted in his mind. He let it fuel him to try his best.

That didn't mean he wasn't nervous.

He warily glanced at his father when the doors were opened and they walked inside. He hasn't stepped foot in the practice room since that major group fiasco. And that was forever ago. He wasn't sure what to expect but assumed it was the usual individual training.

Well, he hoped it was.

Looking around, he noticed that the room had been mysteriously cleaned up. The big obstacle course was no longer around. Taking its place was the usual training equipment. Well, the usual for him. He wasn't sure what everyone else had the pleasure of seeing.

For him, it meant the room was deserted to practice controlling the Horror. Usually, the room also contained a punching bag. That was used to help improve his combat and focus, as well as be a target for the Horror. 

His heart sped up when there was no sight of it.

_It's not here and that typically suggests that I have to practice wider ranges with the Horror._

He didn't think he was capable of doing that at the moment. After all, the Horror hasn't moved much in _days._ (That should be a major cause for concern, but he was too busy enjoying the break from unending stomach pains.) He shook that thought away when he thought back to his father's words. 

_I can do this. Confidence, Ben. You can control the Horror._

I sincerely doubt that. 

_I can!_

He was led to the middle of the room. Since he was preoccupied in his mind, he never noticed his father halt. Therefore, he crashed right into his father's back, falling onto his rear.

_Ow, shit._

He looked up and saw his father's glare. He froze...which was a mistake on his part. It was only expected of Father to get impatient.

"Stand." His father snapped.

Flinching, he bowed his head and forced his body to move. Shakily standing on his feet, he waited for his father's orders. He kept his gaze on his shoes, small tremors passing through his body. He nearly let out a (hopeless) chuckle when he realized how normal this felt. 

_Wow, just like any other day. Isn't it nice to be back to a routine?_ He bitterly thought. _I wonder if anything will ever change..._

He shouldn't have thought that.

And he should've recalled his father's words of a new method to be used.

He realized this when he heard a slight mechanical whirring ahead of him. His head shot up when he felt his father's presence disappear. He didn't even realize that no one was near him.

He was met with the sight of a blank face. 

Literally.

Before him stood a humanoid robot that silently stood across from him, creating a decent gap between them. It was colored in various shades of gray, ranging from light to dark. Its head consisted of a full-face helmet. (He couldn't tell if that was actually its head or if it was simply wearing one. He concluded it was the former.) The visor was a black matte that hid any sign of a face. 

That wasn't much of an issue. He could still tell it was analyzing him. The feeling gave him chills.

_W-what? Where did he even obtain this?! He's not serious?!_

Still confident? 

_Asshole._

He had a guess of what the ploy was here, yet he still prayed it wasn't what he believed it was.

His prayers went unanswered as his father's voice rang throughout the area.

"This shall be your new sparring partner since your siblings are out of commission. It is almost in the same league as Number One, Two, and Five. You should be able to defeat it."

His head shot towards the voice and he found his father standing on a conveniently placed balcony. It was an excellent position to have a view of everything if one were to observe him. Which he was sure his father was planning to do.

He mentally sighed and cursed at his situation.

He could do this.

...right?

Wrong. 

_Shut up._

\--

The robot got into a fighting stance with one foot in front of the other, bringing its fists up. Ben awkwardly copied the stance, not sure what to expect. He stood tense as he waited to hear Reginald’s words.

“Begin.” Reginald flatly said.

With that being said, the robot vanished from Ben’s sight. He blinked at that and quickly glanced around, looking for it. Suddenly, it appeared in front of him and swept him off his feet. Ben fell on his back with a shout of surprise. Ben looked up only to see a foot being swung down. He moved just in time for his head to avoid being squashed. The impact of the robot’s foot caused a loud thump that reverberated around the room. He could’ve sworn the floor shook. 

Breaths uneven, Ben swung his foot up and knocked the robot forwards. It allowed him to roll over and get to his feet. He looked at the robot and found it gone again. Sharply exhaling, he realized the speed of it. It was fast enough to disappear for a few seconds, which he thought was a bit unfair. 

Ben had this thought again when the robot appeared behind him. He sensed it but was too slow in reacting. Therefore his side was kicked which sent him flying in that direction. He crashed into a wall and fell on the floor. Shrugging off his pain, Ben got to his feet and looked for his opponent. Again, the robot was gone.

This time, Ben calmly exhaled as he closed his eyes. He stood straight and patiently waited to sense it. The robot appeared in front of him. Ben was able to recognize its position and move his head in time to avoid a punch. The action created a crater in the wall. He didn’t have time to gape at that as he sent a kick to its chest which knocked it back a few steps. 

No longer trapped against a wall, Ben moved forward and swung at the robot. It dodged his move and sent its own punch. Ben barely moved in time before a flurry of kicks was sent his way. He was able to dodge most of them with his quick pace. The last one, however, hit the side of his leg, sending him to one knee. Not wasting time, the robot sent a swinging high kick. He used the momentum against it by grabbing its leg and swinging it around before releasing it. It was sent crashing into a wall. He rushed forward before it had the chance to recover and sent a spinning high kick.

Unfortunately for Ben, the robot was quick enough to grab his leg. It used a harsh amount of force as it did so. Ben winced as a punch was sent his way. He retaliated by grabbing the arm when he moved his body to dodge. He had to use a lot of effort to do so. 

This left them in a staring contest. 

That was broken when the robot used its leg to knock out Ben’s single standing one. He crumpled to the floor. The only positive outcome was the robot had released his foot. The negative outcome was the axe kick that was sent his way, this time aiming for his chest. Knowing that could be fatal, Ben thought quickly and kicked the robot’s other leg that was still standing. It also crashed to the floor. Scrambling to his feet, he now had the upper hand.

Using this opportunity, he grabbed its (strange) helmet and heaved it up, sending a punch. It made contact. As a result, pain shot up his arm. He should’ve known the robot would be made of steel and not a soft material. It would never be that easy. Now realizing this information, he moved to get away, the proximity of the two being too dangerous. He pulled his arm back and flipped backward, creating a good distance between them. 

Examining his hand, he determined it wasn’t broken, most likely bruised. Drawing his attention back towards his opponent, he knew he would have to be on high alert.

This could take a while.

.

.

.

Ben would never have known that Reginald had rigged the fight for him to lose. 

In Reginald's mind, this was a way to reveal Ben's inferiority. He was positive Ben would degrade himself more that way. 

It was what Ben deserved for presenting as a beta. Reginald will make sure Ben gets torn down. That way, he would have full control over him. 

It would be entertaining to have a submissive, live (but lifeless) subject to experiment on, after all.

(Maybe in the process, he would finally be able to break Five as well.)

.

.

.

It did, in fact, take a lot of Ben's time and energy to compete against the robot. Many times he had an advantage before the tides turned against him. This went on, until (finally) he couldn't keep up. 

The fight ended the same way it started; With him on the floor and the robot towering over him. Its foot remained placed near his head in victory before the robot sauntered off and shut down. Ben let out soft pants as he tried to catch his breath. Closing his eyes, Ben thought of his situation: He had lost.

(He didn't want to discover the outcome of that.) 

~

Opening his eyes, he blinked away his blurry vision and was met with the ceiling. Then, a face appeared in his sight. It was his father who sounded very disappointed as he spoke. 

"Perhaps more is needed."

His father stepped away from him. His eyes followed the figure to the exit. His father looked back, expecting him to follow. He did so after a moment’s pause, scrambling to his feet and rushing behind his father. His shoulders were slightly slumped at his failure and he restrained a miserable sigh.

_And I really thought I was worthy of Five? I can't even defeat a simple opponent. How idiotic can I be?...at least, I didn’t have to use the Horror._

* [A/N: Wow, haven't used this P.O.V. in a while :|]

He was currently nuzzling into Ben's sweater that his mother gave him. He was glad it was in his possession as it assisted his sanity. Ben wasn't able to be near him at the moment and his alpha was getting restless at the fact. He could feel his fingers twitch with fury at not having his mate near him. He stubbornly clung to sanity as he tried to control his alpha. Fortunately, the scent from the sweater helped soothe him. It made him feel close to his mate. He could almost imagine Ben laying beside him, cuddled into his chest. 

He grinned at the thought.

_He's perfect for me. And he's all mine. My Ben. My mate. My love. Mine. Mine. Mine-_

Abruptly, a sense of foreboding rushed through him.

His smile fell.

_Something's wrong._

Since he was laying on his bed, he shot up and glanced around his room. He wasn't sure what the issue was. Everything appeared normal.

He stood on his feet and walked around the room, inspecting every inch of it.

The feeling only continued to grow stronger.

He started to grow anxious. He knew he had to do _something,_ but he didn't know what. He couldn't even discover the reason as to why he felt this way. He paced around his room as he tried to pinpoint the cause for this sudden emotion. He nervously bit on his lips as he thought.

_What could it possibly be? I wouldn't worry this much unless it concerned Be-_

He froze as his heart stopped.

_It can't be._

He didn't want to believe it. Yet, it was the only explanation that made sense.

_No..._

He rushed to the door, banging his fists against it. He needed to escape. 

He _needed_ to.

_Please, no._

He desperately tried different tactics to be released. Nothing worked. His mother had reinforced his whole room for this purpose. He was positive she wouldn't have forgotten any detail, even small ones.

That didn't stop him from persisting to struggle.

He knew that the only justification for his worry was Ben. It was always Ben. No one else could garner this reaction from him or his instinct. He was unsure how he could tell, but he could.

_I have to do something!_

He shouted at his door in a final effort to break free. He thought that he could earn pity points from his mother. 

He felt her presence stop at his door.

_Perfect._

He explained the situation and that his mate needed him. He could tell something awful was going to happen. He hoped his distress got across to his mother.

He figured it did when he heard her inhale sharply. 

_Of course, she would worry for Ben. She could help him._

Except, instead of doing anything, she stood there. Unmoving. He grew confused. He was so sure she would've let him out to help Ben. 

_Perhaps she's going to help him herself._

He supposed that was the only reasonable action. He _was_ still in his rut. He shouldn't be near Ben at this moment. If anything, he was delighted to at least get Mom to help Ben since he couldn't. But he wished she would move quicker.

"Mom? Did you hear me? Something awful is going to take place. Ben needs help. Please go to him. I know I can't leave, but you can aid him."

He expected her to move or agree. That’s not what he got.

"I'm sorry, Five."

_For what? She can still help Ben._

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Mom. Just hurry and help Ben!"

"...I can't."

_What?_

"What do you mean, Mom?" He questioned, not expecting for her to speak a chilling sentence.

"Forgive me."

_W-what?!_

"Mom? Mom?! What do you mean?!" He could feel her presence walk away. He realized she knew something crucial. And that she would play a part in Ben's suffering. He shouted after her departing footsteps. _"No!_ Please, you can't do this! He needs help! Help him! You have to! He shouldn't-He can't-Not him! Please! _Please, don't do this!"_

Nothing deterred her and he could feel her presence vanish. 

_Shit. Shit! SHIT!_

Tears formed in his eyes as he fell to his knees and weakly banged on the door. It was futile. He wouldn't be able to leave until he was allowed to. 

_"Please, don't do this."_ He whispered before his vision became blurry.

He let out sobs as he felt the dreadful sensation become even stronger. He could almost feel the pain that will come after. He didn't want anything to happen, not to the person who was his whole world. 

But he couldn't do anything. Not even when Ben needed him. When _his mate_ needed him.

A flare of heat slowly encompassed him. His heart broke at the fact he wasn't able to help. It was too late now. He had a final thought before he forgot about his distress, urges becoming too powerful.

_Ben...I'm sorry..._

~

He was brought to a room he’s never seen before. He wasn’t even aware it existed. To get there, they had to take an elevator down, then walk down a hall. (The destination was on the right, but he was positive he saw another room straight down the hall.) He didn’t know how it had been hidden all this time. He thought everyone knew the house inside and out.

_This doesn’t look good._

The room gave him chills, not only because it was cold but because of the weird contents. Next to one of the walls was a metal cabinet and near it, a table that held various types of objects. He couldn’t make out what they were, however. Running along on the opposite wall was a long, horizontal mirror. It looked strange and he realized that it was actually a two-way mirror. He didn’t know what was on the other side of that. The room also contained a metal chair bolted down onto the floor in the middle of everything. He could see it had straps for its occupants. The whole room was made of dull, stone walls. A single hanging light dimly lit the room above the chair. It left the corners of the room shrouded in darkness, which made him uneasy. 

He despised (feared) the dark.

_This is practically an interrogation room._

That thought caused his heart to skip a beat. His mind ran with various explanations for this. All of them were unfavorable.

_He wouldn’t...would he?_

Interesting. 

He ignored the voice as his mind flashed to images of a tearful Five after one of Father’s unique punishments. Five never told him where they took place, but he couldn’t help but think it was here. He could see old stains on the floor. If it was enough to reduce Five to tears...he didn’t want to know where it would leave him. 

The pressure on his wrist was released as they halted in front of the chair. He glanced up and found his Father staring silently staring at him. He nervously played with his sleeves as he looked back to the floor.

“What is on your wrist, Number Six?”

He froze at the comment. Looking at the aforementioned body part, he saw purple peeking out from beneath his clothing. Of course, the makeup had rubbed off.

_Fuck._

“N-nothing.”

“I thought I warned you not to lie.”

He flinched at the reminder.

“I-it’s, uh-” He couldn’t think of what to say. He was out of options. So, he whispered the truth. “..it’s a bruise.”

“Speak _up.”_

“It’s a bruise.” 

“A bruise?”

“Ye-”

“Take off the blazer.”

He wordlessly compiled. He slightly crushed the clothing in his hands as Father examined his wrists. He wouldn’t be able to explain their shape of a handprint...well, he _could_ ...that didn’t mean he _wanted_ to. 

After a moment of surveying them, Father questioned him.

“From?”

“...”

“Answer me.”

“...F-five.”

“And why would Number Five do so?”

“...”

“Number Six, I _will not_ repeat my question.”

He persistently kept silent, refusing to answer that much. A chill ran down his spine as he could smell the scent of a furious alpha. Soon, he felt a hand grasp his hair and force his head up. He let out a cry of pain as he fearfully looked into his father’s eyes. He could see the outrage that swam in them. 

_“Number Six.”_

His jaw remained shut. The grip in his hair tightened. He whimpered but kept silent. As a result, he was thrown towards the chair. The blazer flew out of his hands. He crashed onto the seat and felt a flare of pain run along his back that had harshly made contact with the chair. He tried to stand up but was unable to as his father grasped his throat and forced him to remain seated. He grasped the hand and let out another shout. Pressure was applied and he finally answered.

“I-it was my fault!”

That didn’t mean he was going to tell the truth. He didn’t want to get Five in trouble. Especially when Five was still in rut. He also didn’t want Father to know of their relationship. It could easily be used against them.

“And why is that?”

“I-I...provoked Five during the start of his rut...”

“Continue.”

_How is that not enough?!_

Continue~ 

_Stop enjoying this._

“When I went to check on him, I accidentally upset him by getting too close. He was territorial and I forgot. Therefore, he tried to get rid of me. I managed to escape, but still got injured, hence the bruises.”

“How odd.”

“O-odd?”

“Grace informed me of a different sequence of events.”

His eyes widened as he went stiff. He couldn’t believe Mom had informed Father of everything. He didn’t even know they had time to speak about these past few days. He wondered if all their relationships were exposed. That would be disastrous for all of them. 

The pressure around his neck tightened. He struggled to respond.

“I-I don’t know what she’s talking abou-”

“I believe I said for you not to lie to me, Number Six.”

“I’m not-”

“You’re _not?_ Then do explain why there are two different accounts of what happened.”

“I-I don’t know-”

His air supply was cut off as the grip became too tight. He uselessly squirmed in the chair as black spots clouded his vision. Panicking, he clawed at his father’s arm, but nothing worked. He knew that his previous response wasn’t acceptable. He weakly forced out another reply.

“D-d-diff-different p-per-perspectives.”

“I see.”

The pressure was gone as his throat was released. Sharply inhaling, he let out wheezing coughs as he tried to get air into his lungs. Placing a hand around his neck (he hoped it didn’t bruise), he stared up at his father. His eyes met another as they silently stared at one another. Abruptly, his father turned around and walked out of the room. He watched, bewildered, as Father exited and closed the door. He finally moved when he heard the click of a lock. Jolting up, he ran to the door and banged on it, shouting to not be left alone.

It didn’t work. The light from the room turned off and he was left in the dark.

\--

Reginald quickly gained control of his scent as he entered the surveillance room that contained multiple screens showcasing the house. He ignored them in favor of searching for a specific date. When he came across the certain tape, he played it. He watched as the day went by exactly as Grace had informed him. He grew agitated at the fact that one of his subjects tried to lie to him. He quickly listed the information Grace had provided.

A calm breakfast followed by a celebration. The start of heats and ruts. Six children being restrained in their rooms. One not needing to be. That specific one helping keep an eye on the others. A close bonding between two. Feeding the ones that were preoccupied. The escape of one, who chased after another. Another close bonding between two. The escape of another. Restraining said escapee in the infirmary. Separating the couple, one taken back to their room and the other to the infirmary. 

It all wasn’t very valuable to him besides the fact that there were three couples in the academy. He would make sure to remember that fact for the future. It would definitely become useful.

Despite all of that, Reginald was only interested in the incident of self-healing. When Grace mentioned it to him, he was skeptical. He wasn’t aware that someone in the academy could achieve that. Most of their powers don’t truly call for it. 

Continuing to watch the monitors, he saw the moment play across the screen. To his surprise, it was Ben who was able to heal himself. Grace hadn’t mentioned that fact to him. Although Ben was unconscious through the whole thing, it was an impressive promise for improvement.

Reginald was about to eject the tape as Grace left the room in the recording. He believed that was the end until he saw Ben’s eyes snap back open. He noted an interesting fact about them. 

The more Reginald watched, the more intrigued he became. He witnessed the attempted murder and watched as Ben fainted once more. Nothing more happened. He removed the tape and held it in his hand.

Recollecting this new information in his mind, he came to a fascinating theory. He needed to investigate it. He turned and walked out of the room, determined to concoct his next course of action. He made his way to his office, bringing the tape with him for motivation. Sitting in his chair, he tossed the tape on his desk and started to generate a plan.

If what he hypothesized came to be true, it would be exceedingly beneficial to him. Not only would he have a stronger subject, but he would have immense control over the academy.

And...

A malicious smile curled on his lips.

~

He wasn’t sure how long he was in the dark. To him, it felt like hours had passed since his father had left, but it could have only been minutes. He infers that it was a while as he could smell his scent spread throughout the room, which would take time due to his beta status. It was tinged with fear.

He was currently curled up with his arms hugging his knees to his chest. His head was placed between them as his whimpers echoed throughout the dark room. His eyes were clenched shut and he refused to look up. He didn’t want to see the shadows taunt him, scrutinizing his every move. 

He rocked back and forth, trying to reassure himself...but his fear was overwhelming.

_It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s only the dark. Nothing can harm you. It’s all in your head. You know Five wouldn’t let anything hurt you. He’ll keep you safe. Five will. Five. Five. Five._

Five’s not here right now, is he? 

He startled at the voice, halting his movements. He wasn't even sure why. He should've expected it by now. Wanting to distract himself, he continued the conversation.

_That doesn’t matter. He said he would always-_

People lie. 

_He wouldn’t-_

How do you know that? 

_What would he lie to me about?_

His love. 

_What do you mean?_

Don’t you see how obsessed he is with Vanya? 

_Vanya? What does she have to do with anything?_

He’s always all over her. 

_No, he isn’t-_

I wonder if he loves her more. 

_He doesn’t-_

You don’t know that. 

He regretted his decision to proceed with the chat as uncertainty started to swell in him. He mulled over what the voice had mentioned. 

_I guess...Five does always hang out with Vanya when we aren’t together...and she's always looking for hi-No. I know what you’re doing. It won’t work._

What won’t? 

He simply ignored the voice and shook his head, trying to clear his mind of any doubts. He couldn't let anything tear his family apart. He consoled himself that Five loved him, not Vanya. Well, Five loved him _differently._

He doesn’t love you. 

And yet there was still a wave of insecurity that surged through him. He was _really_ starting to hate that voice. 

He stood up and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the inevitable. He didn’t want to do this, but he needed to get out of his mind. The only way to do so was to focus on something else. He had nothing but his surroundings. He hoped that he would be able to find something to help him. He was also hoping he would get over his paranoia. Exhaling, he reluctantly opened his eyes. 

And proceeded to regret his choice.

He severely underestimated the dark. He couldn’t see _anything._ He moved his gaze left and right, but it didn’t help. He was starting to get confused the more he looked around. He should have just kept his eyes shut.

_Damn it._

Idiot. 

Knowing that closing his eyes would only lead to more paranoia, he decided to walk forward. He took careful steps as he did so. Keeping a steady pace, he focused his gaze in one direction. This way he stayed focused.

He kept heading towards what he believed to be the direction of the chair. He knew if he could get there, then he could get to that cabinet. There was a chance it contained items that would be beneficial to him. 

Because of his pace, it took a while until he found the chair. He was alerted of that fact when his leg smacked against it.

Cursing to himself in pain, he made a sharp turn and walked in that direction instead. He kept to his careful steps and eventually walked into the cabinet. 

Literally. 

His face smacked against it and he flinched back, holding it in pain. He cursed out loud again. Then, he clumsily slid his hand across the surface, coming across a handle. He tugged on it and could hear the clink of metal hitting metal. Reaching forward he came into contact with a sharp object. Pulling his arm back, he sliced his hand on it. Now, he had a feeling what was in there.

He didn’t know whether to feel glad about that or not.

_Am I really surprised?_

You shouldn’t be. 

Sighing out loud, he was at a loss. 

_It would be dangerous for me to blindly search around, I could injure myself._

What’s the worst that can happen? 

_What’s the worse-What? Are you serious? I could slice my hand off! I’m not going to risk it!_

Fine, then I will. 

_What?_

Suddenly, his arm lifted itself and reached towards the dark unknown. He was caught off guard and couldn’t stop himself from grabbing an object. He pulled it out, holding it in his grasp. Suddenly, his arm went limp, falling next to him. He moved it and found himself in control again.

_What the fuck?_

He blankly stared at where his hand was. His mind reeled with plausible explanations for what just transpired. He came up with zilch. 

As he started to grow disturbed, he accidentally tightened his grip and the object came to life. A flash blinded him before he heard a roaring noise that echoed throughout the room. He was unprepared as the object recoiled, smacking into his face. He could feel his nose break, sending waves of pain across his face. A liquid trickled down towards his mouth.

_Ow, shit!_

He became panicked as he dropped the object from his hold. It hit the ground with a loud clunk, before another flash and horrendous noise echoed throughout the room. He clenched his eyes shut at another sudden bright light. The loud sound left his ears ringing and he put his hands over them, crouching. 

_W-what the fuck?! What was that?!_

Ever heard of a gun? 

_A gun? Why would that be in here?!_

Take a guess. 

He did. His mind came up with one horrible situation after another. The images caused him to hyperventilate as he fell on his butt. He opened his eyes and could see white spots in his vision. His distress led to his mind imagining them as people. He grew frightened as he backed away from the supposed people. His ringing ears only made him more disoriented.

Idiot...wait. 

As his vision got better, they morphed into terrifying shadows. They were all disfigured, towering over him. They came close to him.

Don’t let them closer, who knows what would happen? 

For the first time, he agreed with the voice. However, it wasn’t any help as he couldn’t get his body to function correctly. He weakly flailed his legs to try and get away, but that didn’t work. It did cause his foot to hit the gun, sending it flying somewhere. He couldn’t have cared about it though.

How unlucky. 

Downright terror struck through him. He clenched his eyes shut and could feel a presence circle him. He tore his hands from his head as his ears cleared up. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his knees as he curled into himself. The presence never left, only growing larger around him. He couldn’t breathe anymore.

Seems like you’re never leaving here. 

Once he was able to hear again, the silence caused him more pain than the ringing did. Since it was deafening quiet, he could hear the shadows mocking him as they completely engulfed him. 

His mind became hazy.

You really are an idiot. 

He blacked out.

\--

Reginald made his way back to where Ben awaited him. A plan was partially created in his mind as he walked down the stone hall. It wasn’t definite as Ben’s abilities were unknown. He needed to find a way to fully construct his idea. He kept this in mind as he swung the door open. 

The lights flickered on and Reginald was greeted with an amusing sight.

Ben was slumped over his knees, his arms loosely cradling them to his chest. Reginald wasn’t able to see his face as they were tucked into his knees, but he knew Ben was asleep. He was able to tell by the slow breaths Ben had. 

Reginald walked over to Ben and nudged him with his feet. Ben fell on his side at the push. That left his injuries uncovered. Reginald was able to see them and he thought about how peculiar that was. He waited for a while until he also thought how disappointing it was that they weren’t healing. Reginald let out an unsatisfied sigh as his plans crumbled before his eyes. Sharply turning on his feet, he walked towards the door.

He halted when he heard the click of a gun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this came out longer than I had imagined, hopefully, it makes up for taking so long to post XD Might make a chapter of Five confessing to Vanya...idk :3
> 
> Sooo, poor Ben D: Will anyone ever save him from Reginald (and himself)? Well...no because things are not going to be any easier for him in the coming chapters :/ 
> 
> (If only Reginald wasn't such a bitc-)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! ~ XYZ


	10. The Monster Within

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teehee :3
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.
> 
> \-- General P.O.V.
> 
> \+ ???'s P.O.V.

+

......

_ Finally. _

He let out a short, victorious puff of air as he gained motion in his limbs. He grinned to himself at the control he had. It slipped when he could feel pain coursing through his body. He decided to deal with that later. First things first...

_ Let's see what I can do about our imprisonment. _

He felt his stomach contort in delight. His grin came back full-force.

_ Good, I was worried I would be hindered like last time. Now, I could cause some real damage. _

His stomach cramped a bit.

_ Well, I could do that in a bit, they seem to need time to grow accustomed to everything. _

As he was about to move, he heard the sound of a door opening. He could feel the lights come on. He froze and slowed his breathing when he felt a venomous gaze on him. It caused irritation to course through him, but he kept to his act. The person came closer and he discreetly let himself go limp. 

_ Damn it, just as I was about to plot an escape as well. _

He felt a nudge to his side and allowed for his body to collapse onto the ground. As he did so, he thought of a plan to escape. He  _ would _ use the help of his friends, but unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if they could help properly at the moment. 

He would need to rely on something else. 

Searching through his mind, he remembered the gun left somewhere around him. He could grab it when the person wasn’t looking. 

_ Perfect. _

As he tried to pinpoint the location of where it could be, the gaze on him turned calculating. They continued to stare at him for a while. He wanted to murder the person for taking so long. Well, he was  _ going  _ to...but  _ still,  _ they could at least have the decency to hurry up. He didn’t even know why they kept their attention on him.

_ Take a picture, why don’t you? _

A disappointed sigh resounded throughout the room as the person walked away from him.

_ Now’s my chance. _

He blinked his bright eyes open. Moving his gaze around, he caught sight of a block of silver. He smirked as he slowly sat up, so as to not alert the intruder of his movement. He was sure his friends could help with this small action. It shouldn’t do much harm to them or him. 

With that satisfying him, he used his abilities and sent out the tentacles from his stomach. They rushed out and grabbed the gun for him. Then, they reeled back into the portal, bringing the gun to him. It was placed in his hand as the tentacles disappeared. He noticed it was a revolver. Luckily, it still had some ammunition in it.

His smirk grew as he felt the weight in his hand. He’s never used one before, but he’s sure it wasn’t hard. He knew some information on them from his memory. Standing up, he turned towards the person. He recognized them to be old from their graying hair. They also wore a navy suit. It only took a second for him to realize who it was. 

_ Oh. It’s him.  _

His smirk turned dangerous.

_ Huh, what a shame. _

The identification didn’t stop him from cocking the gun. It made a loud click that echoed throughout the room. The one he knew to be Reginald halted mid-walk. They stood in silence. He kept the gun in the air, precisely aimed.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you're awake, Number Six.” Reginald calmly spoke.

_ Old bastard. Is he feigning his calmness? _

He let out an uninterested sigh, letting his smirk transform into a deadpan look.

_ No matter, he won’t remain that way when he knows what I am. _

“Hmmm, no, I suppose you shouldn’t be.” He replied just as calmly.

\--

Reginald swiftly turned around at Ben’s response. They made eye contact and Reginald raised an eyebrow. Ben mockingly mirrored his expression.

“Surprised now?” Ben joked with a maniacal smile.

Reginald would never admit that he slightly was. Ben’s flaming pumpkin orange eyes shone at him, with a gleam of bloodlust in them. But it wasn’t good enough to fully incapacitate him. His features turned emotionless as he replied.

“Not at all.”

Ben’s eyes flashed brighter in annoyance.

“And why is that?”

“Do you truly believe I don’t know everything that occurs in my household?”

“Yes, I do since I’m sure there’s a lot you  _ don’t  _ know, but naturally you happened to know about me.” Ben snapped back with a roll of his eyes, smile falling into a scowl. “I’m sure my scent was also a hint.”

The smell of a raging storm with a hint of spring floated through the air.

“It was.” Reginald agreed.

“Of course.”

“Then, why would I be surprised?”

“How exactly did you know?”

“Why do you need to know?”

Ben let out an irritated huff.

“Why do you  _ think? _ I know you’re not a moron, I’ve watched you for many years.” Ben shot him a leer. “And don’t believe  _ I am. _ I know what you’re doing.”

Reginald smirked in acknowledgment. He could unquestionably tell this person was no fool.

“And why should I tell you?” Reginald asked.

“I would say because of the weapon I hold,” Ben waved the gun through the air in emphasis, “but we both know it doesn't intimidate you.”

“Then, why do you continue to wield it?”

“Because I like the power I have with it.” Ben shrugged, gun never wavering. “Well, besides for my actual power.”

“Is that so?”

“It is. Now, will you tell me or would you rather I disgracefully plead with you. Which  _ won’t  _ happen, just so you know.” Ben spat with a look of disgust.

“I’m aware.” Reginald agreed with a chuckle.

“Well then?”

“Surveillance,” Reginald said, not continuing.

But Reginald didn’t need to, Ben comprehended everything immediately. He searched his mind and let out a disbelieving laugh. He didn't know how he didn’t see it sooner. 

Ben’s laughter turned into crazed chuckles as he shook his head at Reginald, the force of his scent lessening. Due to his amusement, he lowered the gun to his side.

“That’s  _ it?”  _ He let out a series of manic giggles. “Just one tiny detail and yet nobody noticed. I wasn’t even aware of it. How clever of you.”

Reginald nodded his head in slight appreciation. They stared at each other in silence, neither moving. Abruptly, blood started to drip down Ben’s face. Reginald examined him and noted his disfigured nose. It was an ugly blue and was starting to bleed again.

“Does that not harm you?” Reginald broke the silence as he kept his gaze on Ben’s injury.

“Huh?” Ben replied.

He focused his eyes at where Reginald was staring, crossing them. He realized it was his broken nose. He had completely forgotten about it. It was making itself known as he could feel liquid drip into his mouth. He thought it had a delightful taste and was enjoying it. 

Then, the pain returned. 

He let out a sigh.

“I didn’t even realize it began bleeding again. Oh well, it’s a simple fix.”

Reginald watched as Ben’s nose fixed itself back into place with a few cracks, blood halting. A few seconds more and the bruise slowly started to disappear. Then, Ben’s nose was as good as new. It undoubtedly left Reginald with intrigue.

Ben felt the pain fade and touched his nose. He happily perceived that it was perfectly healed. He licked the blood off his upper lip, humming at the taste. He wiped what he couldn’t reach with his arm. As he did so, he noticed his hand was crimson. He examined it and identified a large cut across his palm. He remembered  _ he _ had cut it on an object a while ago. He let out another sigh as he fixed that as well. 

It was healed in the blink of an eye. 

Glancing up, Ben gazed at Reginald, knowing he was curiously staring at him all this time. He met his eyes and saw the wonder in them. Laughing, he walked towards the chair and sat down, feeling Reginald’s attention on him. He placed his left elbow on the arm of the chair, then held his head in his left hand. His right elbow went on the other arm and he let it lay across it, the gun hanging off the end along with his right hand as it was still in his grasp.

“Interested?” He questioned Reginald with a smirk.

“Perhaps.”

“Just admit you are,” Ben replied with a roll of his eyes. “ Then, I might tell you the information you want to know.”

“Hmpf. Yes, I am intrigued. It is a fascinating action to witness.”

“Wow, you followed my request. You must really want to know about it.” Ben darkly chuckled. “I suppose I can answer the questions you have. You have to let me out of here when we’re done though.”

“I’ve already done one of your requests, I do not need to follow another. You would answer my questions no matter if I allow you to leave or not.”

“Tch, fine. I already figured you would only follow one of the requests anyways.” Ben examined Reginald before he smiled. “But that doesn’t mean I have to answer  _ all _ your questions. I think I will choose which ones I answer or not. And you’re going to have to agree or you won’t get anything at all. I’m sure you already knew that.”

Reginald nodded. Ben’s smile turned soft, gesturing for him to start his questions. Reginald sent him a look of acknowledgment before he opened his mouth.

_ “What _ exactly are you?”

“Ouch, no  _ who?” _ Ben giggled. Reginald raised an eyebrow at him. He raised his hands in surrender, before returning to his previous position. “So serious all the time, you’re no fun. If you must know, I’m Ben. Or Number Six as you refer to him.”

“How is that?”

“Because I’m a part of him. Just one that never had a say in things. Well, until now.” He eagerly beamed at Reginald. “You’ve seen me before, you know. Just in a different form.”

Ben placed his right hand against his stomach, gun resting across it. Reginald’s eyes lit up with understanding. Ben winked at him, knowing Reginald would realize quickly. 

“I’m sure you already had a hunch. I’m only confirming it for you, aren’t I?” Ben asked.

“Yes. I could recognize you were something else from the surveillance I watched. It was simple to conclude from there.”

“You saw my plan then.”

“I deduced a majority of it. Would you care to elaborate on the details?”

“No.”

“No matter.”

“So?”

“I don’t believe I could fully support you on what I discovered.”

“Obviously. I’m sure I can get away with some of it though.”

“Yes, I suppose.”

Ben laughed in delight at the unspoken challenge.

“It’s great to  _ finally  _ speak to you, by the way. I was always curious about what that would be like after watching you all these years. It was truly a shame  _ he  _ couldn’t control me well or else I would’ve met you sooner. My friends were curious as well.” Ben scanned Reginald. “Well, now, we know it’s not as intriguing as we had thought. I still appreciate the chance to do so, however.”

Of course, Ben was lying. He was as interested in Reginald as Reginald was in him. But, he’ll keep that knowledge to himself. Although, he figures Reginald already knows if the twitch of his mouth was anything to go by. 

“And how exactly were you able to gain control of Number Six’s body?” Reginald asked.

“While I would  _ love _ to answer that question, I can’t because I’m not exactly sure myself. As it grew close for him to present, I gained more power to function by myself. It could have to do with the dynamics working to fit with two beings in one. We have separate ideologies after all. So, I assumed we were granted two statuses as you can tell by my different eyes and scent.” Ben innocently blinked his glowing eyes, scent intentionally spiking to accentuate his point. “But, I wouldn’t put that as a solid conclusion.”

“I see.”

“So.”

“So?”

_ “So, _ yes, I  _ am _ Ben. Just a different version of him, but him all the same. We do share the same memories. Or well he shares them with me. He won’t remember any of what I see or do.” Ben tapped his chin in thought. “I would appreciate it if you addressed me differently. It’s only appropriate to do so.”

“What would suffice?”

“Everyone already calls me the Horror, so I suppose that would do.”

Reginald nodded his head in agreement. He was enjoying the conversation with his newly discovered company. He could tell that the other felt the same way. 

And he was as right as always.

Ben- _ Horror _ was immensely enjoying talking to the man who made the whole family tremble in fear. Well, all except for Five. He wondered if Reginald knew that. He supposed he had to as he would always see the anger at Five’s disrespect. 

“Done already?” Horror teased.

“Why would I be?”

“Then hurry and continue.”

“Your ability to heal?”

“That comes with being me. Of course, I do have a helping hand. Monsters are better friends after all.” Horror chuckled at his own joke. “And before you ask, Ben isn’t able to do so because he doesn’t possess the skill to.”

“Why not?”

“He can’t control us, so he isn’t able to gain this ability, only I can. He’s  _ weak. _ I would blame that on you, but I’m positive it’s all him. He could have easily aligned with us and became very dominant. It’s unfortunate that he has strong morals. That could be due to his love for his family.”

“And for Number Five?”

“Know about that already? Ben wanted to keep that from you, he should’ve known better...But  _ no, _ his love for Five didn’t hinder him.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because I’m not pathetic like him and  _ I _ love Five.” Horror retorted with a shrug.

Reginald looked surprised at those words.

“Ooo, finally caught you off guard, did I?” Horror merrily asked.

“I wouldn’t think you were capable of love.”

“Of course I am.”

“And do you love Number Five because Number Six does?”

_ “No. _ I have my own incentives for loving him. Although, I do suppose some are similar to those of Ben's.”

"Those would be?"

"That's not information you need to know."

“Then, what would transpire if-”

Reginald was cut off by the sudden flash of a gun firing. It set off a thunderous sound that bounced off the walls. A bullet whizzed past his head, only centimeters from murdering him. It did, however, break the chain from his monocle, which crashed to the floor and shattered.

Reginald calmly looked at Horror and saw the gun raised in the air, smoke dissipating from the muzzle. He could tell it was intentionally moved to only slightly miss the real mark. He was quite impressed that Horror had an impeccable aim. 

“I  _ wouldn’t _ finish that sentence if I were you," Horror hissed out through gritted teeth. "While I admire your work, I won’t have you lay a finger on Five. It would ruin my plan." 

"That is solely  _ your  _ plan. Mine would not be affected."

"Maybe not...but if anything were to happen, be assured that I  _ will  _ guarantee your scheme does not succeed. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

The pair kept eye contact, neither moving. Then, Horror lowered the gun and glared at Reginald, making sure his point got across. He leaned back in the chair, spinning the revolver in his hand. He knew Reginald had more questions to ask.

"Continue." Horror impassively said.

"If you're able to heal yourself, why do you still have those bruises?" Reginald asked.

"Bruises?" Horror responded in confusion, revolver coming to a halt.

As an answer, Reginald pointed to his own neck. Understanding the gesture, Horror placed a hand on his neck. He applied some pressure and could feel a small sting of discomfort. He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, then commenced to erase it. 

It was a slow process but eventually the black and blue around Horror's neck disappeared. He touched it again to make sure. Content that it was gone, he searched around and found the bruises on his knuckles from practice. He got rid of those before he answered Reginald.

"I simply forgot that was there. I can't exactly see myself."

"You're wrists?"

"Hmm?" Horror glanced at the aforementioned body part. "Oh, those will remain."

Reginald raised an eyebrow. Horror explained himself.

"I like the sight of them, especially because of who left them there. Therefore, I refuse to get rid of them."

"Are you able to?"

"Did you not witness what I did before? Yes, I can. I don’t  _ want _ to.”

“It took quite some time.”

“Ah, yes, bruises take more time for me to heal. It really is bothersome when that’s a majority of what you leave.”

“My apologies."

"I don't mind. It's what you need to do. It's what you  _ must _ continue to do."

"Must?"

"We both want the same outcome, don't we?"

"Essentially."

"Close enough." Horror commented with a shrug. "I think we can benefit from one another."

Reginald came to the same conclusion with the words spoken. He knew everything could be perfectly executed this way. An agreement was made with their eyes, which held identical, lethal gleams.

Horror let his lips curl into a disturbing grin as he spoke.

_ “Let’s make a deal.” _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A (strong) new character has revealed themselves! Unfortunately for Team Zero, he has teamed up with Reginald :/ 
> 
> What is the deal they've made? Only time will tell :3
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading! ~ XYZ


	11. The New Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's bring in the torture :P
> 
> ~ Ben's P.O.V.
> 
> * Five's P.O.V.
> 
> \-- General P.O.V.
> 
> \+ Horror's P.O.V.

~

_Shit._

Every part of his body felt sore as he became conscious. It was hard to assemble his mind enough to coherently think. 

_Where am I? What time is it?_

Just like that day before, he couldn’t recall much of what happened prior to his awakening. The only thing he could remember was being shrouded in darkness and feeling frightened. He tried to look around, but his body wouldn’t comply with his movements. Therefore, he remained motionless. He tried to blink but realized his eyes were closed. 

_Oh...so it isn’t just dark._

His eyelids felt like lead as he pried them open. Once he did, he saw a cement ceiling. He blinked as he recognized he was still in the weird interrogation room, laying on the floor. Fortunately, it wasn’t dark. A light dimly lit the room.

His mind was sluggish as he gathered his energy to sit up. It took him quite some time until he succeeded. He glanced around the room and saw it precisely as he last remembered. Even he was in the same position, being near the opened cabinet. Trying to piece together his situation, he abruptly realized a gun was in his hand. He let out a panicked shout as he released the object, causing it to crash to the floor with a thunk. 

_What?_

He stared at the object until memories resurfaced in his mind. He was finally able to recall all of the events prior. They left him stumped.

_Weird, I thought I had kicked the gun away from me...why was it in my hand?_

He chalked it up to his delirious state at that time. 

Searching through his memories, he remembered the harm he had inflicted on himself with said object. With a sigh, he grasped his nose, expecting to find it swollen. It was quite a surprise when he found it in perfect condition. As he brought his hands down, he noticed his knuckles no longer hurt as the bruises that were starting to form were gone. Baffled, he checked over his whole body, expecting to find some sign of trauma. He found nothing. The only damage on him were the bruises Five had given him.

_That doesn’t make sense, did I imagine everything?_

He could’ve sworn he had gotten various wounds throughout the day. They should be very prominent at this moment as he was sure he was asleep for a long amount of time. Yet, the only indication he had even gotten harmed was the soreness he felt. Even that was quickly dwindling, leaving him in a good condition. (If anything, he was only a bit hungry.) 

He didn’t understand what was happening.

_Maybe I’m going insane._

It was then that someone spoke, frightening him as he never noticed them before.  
“Good morning, Number Six.”

_Morning? Is it already morning?_

He wouldn’t know. He could only rely on the person’s words. 

_That means it’s already the fifth day of the other’s cycles._

Ignoring his bewilderment, he swung his head at the newfound presence. To his surprise (and terror), he found his father standing a little ways behind him.

“Father?” He slowly got to his feet. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming back?”

_Wasn’t I supposed to learn some sort of lesson by being trapped here? Why is he back?_

“I believe I promised to improve your skills, didn’t I?”

“Oh...yes, that’s right.”

He couldn’t see how being down here would help him. He had assumed it was only used for punishments, which would help him learn his place. Still, he trusted his father had a plan to help him.

He patiently waited for instructions.

“Your combat skills weren’t favorable, but we will work on those with the others. Perhaps they could offer you advice.” He nodded his head in agreement. He had no doubt his family would help him. “It would be best to develop your control over your powers.” His blood turned to ice at those words. His father walked to stand by the mirror. “Stand over here.” He stood by his father’s side. “Practice motions by extracting an object from the cabinet.”

Nerves fluttered through his body as he heard the order. He wanted to improve for his father but...he knew this wouldn’t end well as he _couldn’t_ draw out the Horror. 

_I can’t do this. I’m only going to fail. Father will hate me more than._

He shuffled in place until he felt his father’s eyes on him.

“Well?” His father briefly asked.

He glanced up to the other figure before his eyes went to the cabinet. He could see all the various items contained inside as it was now lit. Multiple weapons ranged from knives to guns. He didn’t know how to feel about that.

_I-I have to try. I can do this. I need to prove myself._

When he felt a glare on him, he finally built up the courage to follow the instruction given to him. With some confidence, he attempted to release the tentacles that were kept within him. He felt a familiar surge of discomfort and thought he had succeeded. That belief diminished when nothing happened. He tried again. 

And again...

...and again...

Nothing was working. The Horror refused to budge. Panic struck through him the longer he failed. 

_I can’t...I’m not good enough._

After a good amount of trying, he decided to stop wasting his energy. So, he stood still and waited for his father to yell at him. To his surprise, no words were spoken. Instead, a hand was placed on his shoulder. 

He was turned towards his father and they quietly stared at one another. With nothing happening, he grew anxious. His hands started to slightly tremble and he looked towards the floor. That proved to be a mistake when his hair was grabbed, forcing him to look up. He willed his hands to remain by his sides as brown met hazel. Again, they only stared at each other. The grip was starting to become very painful.

After a prolonged silence, his gaze was forced towards the mirror. He saw the look of terror he wore.

“Do you see what I do?” He only managed to slightly shake his head at his father’s question. He heard a dark chuckle. “Shall I describe my perspective?” He tried to shake his head again but was compelled to nod. “Well, the image I see is repulsive. I see no more than a frightened _child_ who’s unable to control his situation. There is nothing discernable about him. No good features. No personality. No dominance in his stature. Simply someone who has yet to face their reality. The certain fact that they have no importance in the world.”

_Oh, yeah, that’s right._

Tears welled in his eyes as his heart broke. The more he stared, the more flaws he found in his complexion. Nothing was interesting about him. Nothing worthwhile or strong. No aura about him that would mark him as independent. He could only see a child. A _useless_ one at that. 

_He’s right._

He watched as his reflection contorted into his father’s words, demonstrating the truth in them.

 _He’s right._ _He’s right._ _He’s right._

He tried to hold strong. 

_He’s right._ _He’s right._ _He’s right. He’s right._ _He’s right._

“It’s fine to cry. It’s what you always do.”

He saw the pathetic tears stream down his face. He couldn’t stop them. 

He hated himself more for that.

_He’s right._

His father released him. He supposed that was permission to let go. 

The strength left his body and his knees went weak. No longer able to hold himself up, he collapsed to his knees. Sobs left his mouth and a vast amount of tears cascaded to the ground. Tremors ran through him and he could feel himself violently shaking. His arms wrapped themselves around his body in a pitiful attempt to comfort himself. 

_I don’t deserve anything._

He couldn’t stop the anguished screams that left his mouth.

He _hated_ himself.

\--

Preoccupied with his self-torment, Ben never noticed Reginald leave his side and grab the abandoned gun after he had closed the cabinet.

Reginald walked out of the room, spinning the revolver in his hand as his companion had done before. A pleased smirk crossed his face when he heard the despaired cries of his subject echo along the hallway.

*

A stab of anguish pierced his heart.

\--

Ben bawled for a long period of time. By the time the tears had run dry, it was already near nightfall (not that he knew it). 

Ben was exhausted and hungry. He wanted to go to his room and sleep. Maybe never wake up. It didn’t matter to him as long as he could leave his current imprisonment. He was sure he was going insane. 

Ben was so, so _tired._

\--

When Reginald reappeared, Ben was silently waiting for him, a blank gaze in his eyes. Ben had lost a majority of his energy from the number of tears he released. He knew he wouldn’t be able to move much. He expected to get punished for it.

Ben was right.

The rest of that day consisted of Reginald slowly bringing pain to Ben, who willingly took the punishments. He believed he deserved it for being who he was. 

Through it all, Ben never made a sound.

Not through the punches. Not through the kicks. Or the harsh grips on his neck. Not even when his arm was cut open.

Nothing.

~

When his father had finally left, he lay on the floor. Blood swirled around his arm. He could only blankly stare at the small, crimson puddle forming. It was a fascinating color. He wondered if anyone saw it as much as his family did. 

_Such a pretty color for such a sad image._

It would always bring about awful memories. That’s why he tried his best to avoid looking at blood. He wasn’t able to ignore it now, the smell was overwhelming. And his head wouldn’t move due to his exhausted body. A whole day had passed with nothing but suffering for him. It only made sense he was tired. 

He knew to enjoy the “freedom” he had, so he decided to sleep. His body was sore and he could tell new wounds would reveal themselves by the time he awakens. He wasn’t given any food, so he would need to conserve as much energy as possible.

He closed his eyes.

.

.

.

+

_I know I told him to, but damn, he could be a bit more considerate._

~

.

.

.

He opened them when water splashed on him. 

It threw him fully into consciousness as he sat up. Coughing at the abrupt awakening, he threw a glare towards the intruder. One was returned that was far more threatening. He lost any hostility when he recognized the glare to come from his father.

_Who else would it be?_

He felt a bit stupid for thinking it could be someone new.

_Why is he back so soon?_

He wanted to take a longer nap. He thought it would take some time for his father to come back with new practice techniques. Softly sighing at the intrusion, he checked over himself, needing to know his limit for the day. He soon realized that nothing hurt. He looked towards his arm and found it empty of any wound. In fact, his whole body was fine.

_What?_

While he wanted to ask, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. 

_I think I am going insane. Are the days repeating? I know it wasn’t fake...right?_

“I believed I’ve let you rest enough, it’s morning.”

His head shot up at those words.

_Already morning again?_

When he opened his mouth to speak, his father was quick to stop him. He felt another splash of water fall on him. He spluttered, water soaking his hair and outfit. His wide eyes stared at his father in question.

“I’ve grown tired of your noises. Don’t make more.” His jaw fell at the command. It wasn’t like he could exactly stop himself from making noise. Especially when his father always made it difficult. “I believe it’s time to teach you what you are expected to do.”

He was confused at that sentence until a book was revealed to his eyes. It looked familiar. It was also...old...

_Wait._

Staring at the book longer, he noticed a familiar binding and cover. He recognized what it was instantly.

_You’re joking._

He really didn’t want to learn the roles of a beta. Not that he had a choice. 

He wished he did.

\--

Ben was forced to read the book over and over again until it became imprinted into his brain. He hated every second of it. Each chapter contained terribly specific details on his “role” and was longer than the last. It had a strong effect on his beliefs, which crumpled before his eyes. 

During the whole process, Ben was unable to make a noise. That would have been easy if not for the other variable. Ben was given a razor and had to harm himself each time he got distracted, tried to prove the book wrong, or let out a noise. It was excruciating as Reginald had made him cut slow and deep. Paired with the amount of shame that flowed through him, it was a disastrous punishment.

Ben was barely able to hold on.

By the time it was over, his arms had multiple cuts of various sizes that ran down the whole length of them. It continued onto his thighs. His shorts were soaked crimson, which left him uncomfortable. Blood pooled beneath him. 

That said a lot about Ben’s persistence. 

Reginald wasn’t in favor of it. Fortunately for him, it was easy to mold Ben’s way of thinking as Ben believed in him. It made the process easier, even if it did take the whole day.

*

Ripples of pain traveled up his arms as he twitched in discomfort. He wasn’t sure where this was coming from. It was nothing he couldn’t handle, but it was irritating. Along with that...

He was so, so _tired._

\--

When Reginald made his exit, Ben was kneeling on the floor and blankly staring at a wall. The book was left behind, taunting him. Ben refused to look at it...but he didn’t need to. He was sure he could recite the whole book by memory alone. It wasn’t exactly a feature he was proud of. It left him feeling a bit violated as now he didn’t have the freedom to think the way he wanted. He had to follow a set of guidelines. Most (All) of them were rather restricting as well.

Ben felt lightheaded and drained. It was the worst he’s ever been. He had trouble keeping his eyes open. What's more, his body was shaking from the lack of food. He could feel a hole in his stomach that was slowly eating itself. 

Ben could feel his body lose more and more blood as he fell on his side. He curled into himself and examined the blood that gushed out from his wounds to the floor. At this point, the smell was so awful that he was practically gagging on the taste of metal. 

His face became stoic as he quietly recited some lines from the book. 

“It is the role of a beta to serve after an alpha and/or omega.”

Ben wanted to hysterically laugh at his situation, but found himself unable to. 

“All orders must be fulfilled to the tiniest detail. If a beta were to fail in any aspect of their instructions, they are to willingly face punishment.”

Ben _loved_ books.

“A beta must _never_ believe they have an ounce of freedom. Their life purpose is only to be compliant and help those who are greater than them.”

They were his pride and joy, being able to take him to exceptional places. It was the only time he could see the world. 

“Betas have no opinion in any matter that concerns them. All decisions are to be made from their alpha and/or omega.”

Ben was left feeling hollow as silent tears streamed down his face.

“Betas must _always_ follow the will of their alpha and/or omega.”

All of those feelings were destroyed.

“A beta must also remember that they are _nothing._ Everything and anything is higher than them. They provide no service to the world besides that of being servants.”

Tears mixed with blood, creating an image of sorrow and lost hope.

“It will _forever_ remain this way.”

Ben didn’t love books anymore.

.

.

.

.

.

The world went dark.

+

_Damn it._

He snapped his orange eyes open and scowled at the ceiling.

_Damn it!_

He knew his counterpart had a strong mind, but he didn’t think it was _that_ strong. He knew Reginald felt the same way, so he wasn’t sure what the thought process was here. He wasn’t so certain that Ben would be able to survive this amount of blood loss. And if Ben died...

...so did he.

_God damn it!_

He could feel fury course through his body as he slowly sat up. He winced at the amount of pain that struck his body. While he knew he could handle it, it was still rather annoying to have to deal with. 

Looking at his wounds, he realized how much he was damaged. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought a massacre took place. (That might have been a bit dramatic, but he was too aggravated to care.)

_I didn’t say to fucking kill him._

He quickly set out to heal all the wounds across his body. They were gone in a blink of an eye. Unfortunately, it depleted some of his energy rather than Ben’s. 

_This is exactly why you don’t trust others to do your work for you._

He believed that Reginald knew what he was doing, but now he wasn’t so sure. He was almost murdered after all. However, Reginald was his only option at the moment, so he would have to stick with their deal. And he was nothing if not a man of his words (mostly), so he’ll keep to his bargain as long as Reginald fulfilled his end.

That didn’t mean he had to trust Reginald.

_That was too close. I could practically feel Ben’s soul leave him. Is that bastard trying to get rid of me?!_

Logically, he knew that couldn’t have been true as Reginald needed him to enact his plan. He offered many benefits to Reginald. However, at the moment he was a bit pissed. He knew he would get over it soon, but for now, he stewed in his rage.

_That moronic, sadistic, insane, old piece of SHI-_

.

.

.

It lasted for some time before the anger dissipated. 

_I'll return the favor when given the chance. For now, I suppose I should let it go._

With a sigh, he made sure everything about himself was in perfect condition. When he confirmed his shared body was back to normal, he let out a puff of laughter.

_No matter, as long as he keeps his end of the deal...and he is. It’s proven by the way I could’ve easily taken over. Ben’s slowly losing all of his control. I’ll succeed in no time._

With that reassurance, he let out a satisfied sigh and laid back down. Now wanting to disappear into an abyss, he allowed himself to stay awake. Not only did he enjoy the time he had in control, but it would also make things harder for Ben as their body wouldn’t be too well-rested when he awoke. 

His mind wandered to thoughts of Five. A genuine smile made its way onto his face when he realized he could soon meet Five as _himself._ It’s always been a desire of his. He wondered if Five would be able to tell the difference. He hoped not, but doubted Five wouldn’t be able to. Five knew Ben well, which was just one of the reasons he fell in love.

_Just a bit longer. And then..._

The smile turned into a devious smirk.

He couldn’t _wait_ to get his hands on Five.

\--

On the final day of the other’s cycles, Reginald planned something special for Ben. 

Well, not exactly for _Ben,_ but for Horror.

Reginald was curious how exactly Horror was able to take control. He would like to see the process with his own eyes. He would also like to know the limit of his newfound abilities. Would Horror be able to save the shared body from massive trouble? That’s why Reginald. kept Ben seriously harmed yesterday. He wanted to know if Horror was as strong as he believed. 

Reginald had left Ben in the room for a majority of the day, not visiting once. He figured the isolation would do more damage than anything else. He knew Ben's sanity would deteriorate that way. At around dinner, he decided to finally enact his idea. When he walked into the room that held Ben, he was proven correct about Horror's strength. 

A smile formed as Reginald found Ben soundly sleeping, wounds gone. It seemed that Horror was able to keep him alive, even when he was majorly injured. If he was able to do that, Reginald wanted to know if he could survive when he was on the _absolute_ brink of death. 

He'll make this quick.

Walking over to his experiment, he nudged him awake. Ben awoke slowly, moves sluggish.

“Hurry and come to your senses.” 

In return, Ben only groggily stared at Reginald. The words didn’t seem to have processed in his mind. 

Reginald became impatient.

~

He was trying to clear his brain when he heard it.

**“Get. Up.”**

The words were spoken with an alpha voice.

It struck fear in him. Without his consent, he quickly followed the order. He immediately stood on his feet, mind no longer foggy. His body was tense, every muscle on high alert, mind slightly shaken. He’s only read about alpha voices before. He always despised the fact that people could be forced to do anything with it. He despised it more, now that he’s experienced it.

_Well, I’m going to have to be forced to follow orders regardless, but I would rather not have what little consent I have taken away from me._

He felt slight disgust at the satisfaction on his father’s face. Pushing his emotions aside, he waited for something to happen. 

But he wasn't prepared for what did.

He had no time to react as his father pulled out the revolver from before and shot him right in the chest. It sent a wave of pain through his body. His eyes widened. 

_What?_

Falling to his knees, he grasped the bullet wound as he collapsed on the floor. Everything hurt, but at the same time...nothing did. 

_What?!_

His breathing became labored and he struggled to get air in his lungs, which he could feel were being filled with blood. Vision blurring, he watched as his father stood waiting for something. 

He didn’t know what. 

What he did know was that he could feel his body grow cold. It was almost like death was reaching out to him. 

_Is this where I die?_

He didn't want to. Not really.

_I thought I would be able to see Five one last time._

We will. 

_Will we?_

Yes, of course. 

_...of course._

Go to sleep. 

_......but-_

Now. 

_.........'kay._

He took one last gasp of air as his mind surrendered to darkness. 

*

His lungs weren't working properly it seemed. 

_Shit, what's wrong with me?_

He coughed and took deep, shuddering breaths to get air through his windpipes. It was a very difficult process. Each breath brought a stroke of pain.

He couldn't...

+

...breathe.

It was a first for him to not receive air, previous form not truly needing it. He already loathed the feeling though. (He mentally scoffed at how weak these forms were.) Fortunately, it wasn’t too much of a hindrance to his healing ability. But he did falter a bit as some of Ben was somewhat conscious.

...tir- 

_Shut up! Trying to save us here._

Ben's presence finally vanished. He had full control. As soon as he did, he immediately set out to save the both of them. He gathered his energy into the wound. Luckily, it was a clean shot and the bullet didn’t get stuck within his body. He wouldn't have to worry about getting it out. Instead, he focused on getting the wound to heal as rapidly as possible.

It was proving to be harder than he thought. 

A lot of blood was rushing out. Too much of it. Some was starting to run down the side of his face. At this point, he couldn't even feel the pain. Black spots started to cloud his vision as more blood left. And the wound was _slowly_ healing. He wasn't sure his body could take it.

_Guess I'm about to find out if I've reached my limit._

The only thing pulling him through this was sheer will. He refused to die when he hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Five. He was so _close_ as well. 

Nothing would stop him from getting what he desired.

It was getting close though. He was losing his train of thought. Everything became blurry and he had trouble keeping his eyes open. He had almost passed out when he was allowed a gasp of air. 

The wound had finally healed.

He took deep breaths and felt his energy come back. However, he was still left quite weak. 

_Shit, that was too close. Even closer than the last time._

He ignored his lack of strength as he shakily stood on his feet. He spat out some blood that had gathered in his mouth. It hit the ground with a wet splat, blending with the various bloodstains already on the floor. He stared at the spot before a vicious glare formed on his face. It was directed to Reginald. 

"What the hell was that?" He calmly inquired. He waited and got no reply. So, he continued. "Are you actually trying to _murder_ me?" Wiping the blood around his mouth with his arm, he released the tentacles within him. They reached out and grabbed Reginald, dragging the old man to be right in front of him. He forced Reginald to his knees and growled out his next words. "Ben almost _died._ Surely, you're aware that if he dies, I die." He wasn't amused at Reginald's pleased look. "And if _I_ die, you won't be able to achieve your stupid plan."

While he had forgiven Reginald earlier for being incompetent, he wasn't about to forgive him now. It was obvious that Reginald had planned to slaughter him. He thought they would both stick to their word, but wasn't surprised that Reginald had lied to him. He used to see it happen all the time. He felt stupid for allowing himself to unite with Reginald. It made him more furious.

_He'll have to go._

Reginald wasn't useful to him anymore. Especially, if his agenda was in danger of getting destroyed. He'll figure out a new way to reach his goal. He was confident he could deceive the family.

He had the tentacles coil around Reginald, planning to crush him to death. He thought of it as a small payback for putting him through all that. He was halted by Reginald's words.

"Any great scientist would experiment on their fascinating theories."

He detested that he was a bit curious at those words.

"Elaborate." He demanded.

"I was simply curious how you were able to gain control of Number Six. It would also benefit us to know the strength you wield."

"Your findings?"

"You hold an _extraordinary_ amount of power. I was slightly astonished you were able to survive that. You were so close to death as well. It only proves my theory that you are as strong as I believed. Therefore, you _will_ truly benefit me."

"If I had died?"

"If you had died it would reveal the truth of your strength, which would be that you lack it. It would have been impractical to create a plan, only to have it fall apart due to your weak powers. And it would have been a waste of my time."

"So, you wanted to see if I could survive even the most dangerous damages."

"In a sense."

"I see."

He stared at Reginald for a few moments. He still didn't fully trust Reginald, but he could sense the truth behind the words. He would also be curious about the limit of his abilities. He _was_ curious, which is why he wasn't as bothered as before. He now knew he could survive close encounters with death. 

_I suppose it provided me with valuable information as well._

With a sharp nod of approval, he released Reginald, crossing his arms as the tentacles reeled back into his stomach. He waited for Reginald to stand on his feet before he addressed him.

"A warning would have been nice."

"Where would the entertainment in that be?"

"How _hilarious."_

"No need to be aggressive, Horror," Reginald brushed some dust off his suit, "We both desire the same outcome."

"Do we?"

"Essentially."

He let out a huff of laughter.

"Just keep to your word and I'll do the same." He said.

"Naturally," Reginald replied.

Rolling his eyes, he coughed out some more blood before collapsing in the chair to rest. He let his body relax and thought about how to enact the next part of their plan. As he was formulating it, he decided to make some small talk.

“How did it look?”

“Like Number Six went to sleep and woke up a different person.”

“That _is_ what happened.”

“I believed it would look differently.”

“It didn’t.”

Reginald shifted the topic. He smirked.

"Are you able to communicate with Number Six?"

"I could, but I don't need to anymore."

"Explain."

"I used to do so to get him weak. It didn't work well." He sighed. "But, now that I have you doing that, with much more positive results, I feel no need to talk to him. Perhaps I will for some moments in the future."

"I see."

"Did you discover how I'm able to control Ben?" 

"No.”

“Hmm.”

“Would you care to clarify?”

“Not really...but I only know that if his mind is vulnerable, I’m able to take control. It typically happens when he faints due to any torment. His mind grows weak then.”

“Is that why you require my help?”

“Yes. It would take too much time if I were to do so alone. He might not even break. His mind is strong, so I wouldn’t succeed at anything that way.”

“Do you need him to break fully?”

“Of course. If I want to have full control, he needs to lose all of his. Therefore, he would never be able to come back and I could forever stay.”

“How does he regain control?”

“The control was originally his, so he’s just able to subconsciously take it back. I could only hold onto it for a certain amount of time.”

“How long?”

“It varies. It’s been longer the more you break him down.”

“It’s succeeding then?”

“Yes.”

At this point, he discovered the next course of action they should take.

"The time?"

"Eight p.m."

"Great, this might take a while."

"And that is?"

“The others will be able to leave their rooms by tomorrow, correct?” He asked, dodging the question for now.

“That is correct.”

 _“Perfect._ I have an idea.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me, Ben, I do want you to have a happy ending but...plot...so :/
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading! ~ XYZ


End file.
